Springtime 1901

Robert Julian Onderdonk made this painting, Springtime, with oil on canvas. Look at these soft, impressionistic brushstrokes. I imagine Onderdonk standing in a sun-drenched field, squinting and dabbing at the canvas, trying to capture the shimmering light and the feeling of warmth on his skin. I wonder, was he trying to paint the light itself, or the way the light felt? The texture is so important here. The way the grass is built up with little strokes of paint, feels like a real meadow. And those figures lounging in the grass, I imagine them lost in thought, daydreaming under the shade of the trees. The greens and yellows create a sense of peace and tranquility. It’s a generous scene, like a gift. Onderdonk’s painting reminds me that every artist is in conversation with every other artist, across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.