Peter Hurd (February 22, 1904 – July 9, 1984) was an American painter whose work is strongly associated with the people and landscapes of San Patricio, New Mexico, where he lived from the 1930s.

Early in his life, Hurd studied in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania under the noted illustrator N. C. Wyeth, along with two of his grown children.

Born in Roswell, New Mexico, Peter Hurd originally attended military school before he realized he loved painting and wanted to pursue it professionally.

His large egg tempera paintings of the local landscape earned him national recognition; reproductions were published in Life magazine.

When he returned to painting the New Mexico landscapes, his work was characterized by a new freedom and looseness, but still displayed his customary subtle tones as a gifted colorist.

He wrote, “the ones I like best to paint are those whose lives are spent under the sky: Men whose clothing, skin and eyes are all conditioned by the wind.” His Portrait of Jose shows the foreman of Sentinel Ranch amid the ridges of the land he cared for.

Hurd completed about one fresco per week over a two-year period, depicting pioneers and influential leaders of West Texas.

"[4] When Hurd asked the President about his portrait style preference, Johnson responded with one done by Norman Rockwell for LOOK's presidential election coverage in its October 20, 1964 issue.

[5] After a travelling exhibition to raise funds for various nonprofit organizations around the country, Hurd donated the painting to the Smithsonian Institution's National Portrait Gallery where it's currently on display.