GENERAL DESCRIPTION
This painting exemplifies Jerry Bywaters’ mastery of regionalist landscape painting using his observations of expansive West Texas. As early as 1934 he traveled to the area and other parts of the Southwest in search of artistic inspiration. He completed a Works Progress Administration mural in 1938 in Quanah, Texas—the same year this painting was completed. The painting depicts a rest stop in Adrian, Texas, a town near Amarillo, in the Panhandle west of Dallas. Adrian is the precise mid-point between Chicago and Los Angeles on highway Route 66 and was a shipping point for area wheat growers. The Santa Fe Railway logo on the freight train alongside the grain elevator and cattle loading pen is a reminder of the changes endured by the agricultural industry in far-flung towns around the state. As with much of the region, drought and dust storms took their toll on the town in the first half of the 20th century. The flat landscape is dotted with telephone poles leading the eye towards the endless horizon in this dusty West Texas scene.
Adapted from
Rae Pleasant, DMA Unpublished Material, 2015.
NOTES
This note was started by Erin Pinon, summer 2016 and saved as #incomplete. EAS will submit this #draft after reviewing the associated objects/files.
1/11
Added Geo XRef to TMS
Adapted from
Rae Pleasant, Early Texas Art Research Associate, "Acquisition Proposal," in DMA Object File (2015.53) (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2015)
Extended Geography Information
In 1909 the Chicago, Rock Island, and Gulf Railway was completed through that portion of the country. The reason for this slow [population] growth was a lengthy drought, coupled with the difficulty of maintaining a sufficient water supply. Nevertheless, Adrian survived famines and black dusters to become a stopping place for travelers on Route 66 and a shipping point for area wheat growers. The town’s first grain elevator was built in 1929 (Anderson). The large metal structure in the middle of the painting is a grain elevator (RP 2016).
Adrian, Texas is a city located in the Panhandle in Oldham County which is included in the Amarillo Metro Area. Oldham County cities and towns include, Adrian, Boise, Boys Ranch, Tascosa, Vega, and Wildorado. Adrian sits directly on the geo-mathematical mid-point of historic Route 66 between Chicago and LA.
There's a sketch of this work in the object file (JB.2013.190). It is not digitized and I did not scan it due to the poor quality of the photocopy.
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Adrian (Texas/United States): TGN: 2102245
Place of origin: Texas (state/United States): TGN: 7007826
Place of origin: Southwest (general region/United States): TGN: 4010660
Process/materials
Oil on artist board
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
After 1989: Albert H. Halff, city, state (1915-2013)
n.d.: His son, Henry M. Halff, San Antonio, TX (1942-2015), by inheritance
By 2015: His widow, Jean Halff, San Antonio, TX
From 2015: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from the above
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- Jerry Bywaters in SMU Digital Collections~Check out hundreds works by this artist in the SMU Central University Libraries Texas Artists: Paintings, Sculpture, Works on Paper collection.
- Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society~Learn more about the Santa Fe Railway line.
- The Rural Broadband Association~Read about the history of rural telecommunications.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- Adrian's first grain silo was built in 1928.
TEACHING IDEAS
RULES
Apply to objects where number equals 2015.53
Category
rules_operator
AND
General Description
This painting exemplifies Jerry Bywaters’ mastery of regionalist landscape painting using his observations of expansive West Texas. As early as 1934 he traveled to the area and other parts of the Southwest in search of artistic inspiration. He completed a Works Progress Administration mural in 1938 in Quanah, Texas—the same year this painting was completed. The painting depicts a rest stop in Adrian, Texas, a town near Amarillo, in the Panhandle west of Dallas. Adrian is the precise mid-point between Chicago and Los Angeles on highway Route 66 and was a shipping point for area wheat growers. The Santa Fe Railway logo on the freight train alongside the grain elevator and cattle loading pen is a reminder of the changes endured by the agricultural industry in far-flung towns around the state. As with much of the region, drought and dust storms took their toll on the town in the first half of the 20th century. The flat landscape is dotted with telephone poles leading the eye towards the endless horizon in this dusty West Texas scene.
Adapted from
Rae Pleasant, DMA Unpublished Material, 2015.
Fun Facts
- Adrian's first grain silo was built in 1928.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- Jerry Bywaters in SMU Digital Collections~Check out hundreds works by this artist in the SMU Central University Libraries Texas Artists: Paintings, Sculpture, Works on Paper collection.
- Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society~Learn more about the Santa Fe Railway line.
- The Rural Broadband Association~Read about the history of rural telecommunications.
Notes
This note was started by Erin Pinon, summer 2016 and saved as #incomplete. EAS will submit this #draft after reviewing the associated objects/files.
1/11
Added Geo XRef to TMS
Adapted from
Rae Pleasant, Early Texas Art Research Associate, "Acquisition Proposal," in DMA Object File (2015.53) (Dallas: Dallas Museum of Art, 2015)
Extended Geography Information
In 1909 the Chicago, Rock Island, and Gulf Railway was completed through that portion of the country. The reason for this slow [population] growth was a lengthy drought, coupled with the difficulty of maintaining a sufficient water supply. Nevertheless, Adrian survived famines and black dusters to become a stopping place for travelers on Route 66 and a shipping point for area wheat growers. The town’s first grain elevator was built in 1929 (Anderson). The large metal structure in the middle of the painting is a grain elevator (RP 2016).
Adrian, Texas is a city located in the Panhandle in Oldham County which is included in the Amarillo Metro Area. Oldham County cities and towns include, Adrian, Boise, Boys Ranch, Tascosa, Vega, and Wildorado. Adrian sits directly on the geo-mathematical mid-point of historic Route 66 between Chicago and LA.
There's a sketch of this work in the object file (JB.2013.190). It is not digitized and I did not scan it due to the poor quality of the photocopy.
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Adrian (Texas/United States): TGN: 2102245
Place of origin: Texas (state/United States): TGN: 7007826
Place of origin: Southwest (general region/United States): TGN: 4010660
Process/materials
Oil on artist board
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
After 1989: Albert H. Halff, city, state (1915-2013)
n.d.: His son, Henry M. Halff, San Antonio, TX (1942-2015), by inheritance
By 2015: His widow, Jean Halff, San Antonio, TX
From 2015: Dallas Museum of Art, purchased from the above
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
rules
Apply To
Objects
number
Equals
2015.53
source file
object_notes_3_c-0195.xml.nores