Peter Hurd (American, 1904–1984) was a painter known for his evocative landscapes, portraits, and scenes of ranch life in the American Southwest. Born in Roswell, New Mexico, he initially studied at the United States Military Academy at West Point before leaving to pursue art, later training under N.C. Wyeth in Pennsylvania and marrying Wyeth’s daughter, Henriette Wyeth. Hurd established his home and studio in San Patricio, New Mexico, where the high desert landscape became the central subject of his work. Working primarily in egg tempera and watercolor, he developed a distinctive style characterized by crisp light, expansive space, and a strong sense of regional identity. His paintings are widely associated with mid-20th-century American Regionalism and the visual legacy of the Southwest.

In this portrait, Hurd was commissioned by J. Lee Johnson Jr., Chairman of the First National Bank in Fort Worth. The painting features a "painting within a painting," with a ranching scene representing the Johnson Ranch near Odessa, Texas, and a model of the bank building Johnson built, highlighting his West Texas roots and legacy.