The imposing grandeur of
Albert Bierstadt's
monumental canvases
inspired a generation of
American landscape
painters.
Born in Germany,
Bierstadt was raised in
New Bedford,
Massachusetts. He
returned to Germany in
1853 to study at
Dusseldorf where he
refined his considerable
technical abilities
painting Alpine
landscapes. After
returning to New Bedford
in 1857, Bierstadt
sought fresh inspiration
and elected to join an
expedition surveying new
overland routes to the
Pacific which departed
from St. Joseph,
Missouri in 1859.
Bierstadt was captivated
by the breathtaking
beauty of the pristine
Western landscape and
wrote: "...the wildness
and abandon of nature
here is very attractive
to an artistic eye, and
every day nature seems
to grow more lovely and
beautiful."
Bierstadt took countless
photographs and made
sketches of the majestic
mountain ranges and
dramatic rock formations
along the route that
became the studies for
massive canvases painted
in his New York studio.
The artist's rugged,
romanticized landscapes
of the West, painted on
a grand scale with an
abundance of detail and
dramatic lighting,
captured the imagination
of 19th century art
collectors and their
interest catapulted
Bierstadt to the top of
the American art market.
His paintings brought
record prices and
Bierstadt enjoyed
tremendous success and
recognition.
