A notable American painter of the Hudson River School, a group of painters active in New York City between 1830 and 1850, was Albert Bierstadt. Intense use of light and color, including individuals in landscapes, and the artist’s goal to produce works that spectators could connect with emotionally define his paintings.
Albert Bierstadt was born in Dornburg, Germany. He was born on November 16, 1828, to parents who had emigrated from Alsace (now part of France). The family moved to America when Albert was seven years old and settled in New York City, where they lived until 1845, when they moved back to Germany due to financial problems.
Bierstadt’s early work was in watercolor and oil. He painted landscapes that were painted in the style of the Hudson River School, which was a group of artists who focused on capturing images of America’s natural beauty and national identity. This article will focus on some famous Albert Bierstadt paintings depicting the American West.
Sunset in The Yosemite Valley
Albert Bierstadt – Sunset In The Yosemite Valley
“Sunset in the Yosemite Valley” is a panoramic view of the Yosemite Valley. It’s an Albert Bierstadt painting commissioned by the Leland Stanford family in 1875. The painting was exhibited at New York’s National Academy of Design for four years before John Jacob Astor bought it for $50,000 (about $1 million today).
When compared to Looking up the Yosemite Valley (1865), which showed the valley enveloped in the morning fog and the great blue sky of Yosemite Valley, Sunset in the Yosemite Valley (1869) shows the valley at sunset (1863). The Merced River, the valley, and the El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks mountains are all visible from a closer vantage point. The center ground’s Cathedral Rocks are nearly entirely obscured by the setting sun, and night quickly encroaches. The Merced River’s mouth and El Capitan’s base gleam brilliantly in the rays of the setting sun, forming the painting’s main positive area.
The low, quick-moving clouds add to the gloomy, unsettling feeling as they pass over the moonlit, stony summits of the Alps. Deciduous tree silhouettes may be seen in the front, and behind them, the higher portion of the valley and the edge of the forest can be seen in the slanting rays of the setting sun. The sun appears fairly menacing, and the dominance of yellow-orange and black tones adds to this image. However, the soothing light from the river helps to temper this impression.
The painting has been on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City since 1894, where it remains today as one of its most popular pieces.
The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak
This oil painting is one of Bierstadt’s iconic works. It was painted in 1865 and hung in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., where it has been since 1898. The painting depicts Lander’s Peak, named for explorer John C. Frémont who explored the area in 1845-46 while mapping out California and Oregon territories with his men.
Frémont’s crew named this mountain peak after their captain because they believed its resemblance to a human head would make it easier to find when traveling through rough terrain like those found along the Pacific Northwest trails at that period and indeed, it did.
The visual character of the American West in the United States and overseas was formed by this and other well-known works by German-born Albert Bierstadt. He traveled to the Nebraska Territory at the beginning of 1859 as part of a government survey team led by Frederick W. Lander.
The group eventually made it to Wyoming’s Wind River Range in summer, part of the Rocky Mountains. This painting, which Bierstadt completed in New York after returning from these excursions, promoted the landscape as a frontier that, following the ideology of Manifest Destiny, would be taken over by White people.
Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California
Albert Bierstadt – Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California
“Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California” is a famous painting by Bierstadt. It was painted in 1868 and depicted the Yosemite Valley in California, USA. The painting has become one of the most famous works by Bierstadt and is considered his masterpiece.
Yosemite National Park’s scenery was shaped by glacier processes that occurred millions of years ago. Still, the artwork created by painters like Albert Bierstadt helped to establish Yosemite’s status as a national landmark in the United States.
One is lured into a Bierstadt landscape painting as soon as they see it because of the enormous scale and panoramic views. In a manner that initially seems hyper-realistic, “Looking Down Yosemite Valley, California,” portrays a traditional natural panoramic perspective of the long-hidden Yosemite valley.
If one word could summarize this painting, it would be “heavenly.” This is because Bierstadt’s works are set within a broader political setting at a particularly dark period in American history. There was considerable post-war unrest when the civil war had only just ceased. America was looking for beauty in all its forms. Therefore, the notion of a depiction of nationhood through the beauty of a landscape painting was one that Bierdstadt’s untamed primeval nature favored.
Devil’s Tower
“Devil’s Tower” is a famous landmark in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It was once part of an extinct volcano, but now it’s a popular tourist destination and featured in the movie Jurassic Park.
The painting depicts an eagle soaring through clouds above Devil’s Tower, located within Yellowstone National Park (yikes!). The painting shows us how majestic this natural formation can be if you get up close enough—and if you fall off your bike while riding through it.
Our Banner In The Sky
“Our Banner in the Sky” is a painting by Albert Bierstadt, completed in 1868. It depicts a view of the Rocky Mountains from the east and is one of his most famous paintings. This piece has been part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art collection since 1895 when it was purchased through an anonymous donation from New York City’s Stuyvesant family.
Conclusion
Art can be a fascinating window into the American West. From the past to the present, Bierstadt’s paintings offer a glimpse into how people viewed this land during its heyday and how it changed over time. I hope you’ve enjoyed this retrospective look at the work of one of America’s greatest painters, and we encourage you to visit a gallery of American West oil paintings.
