Albert Bierstadt
Albert Bierstadt was a German American artist who lived from 1830 to 1902. He was part of the Hudson River as well as the Rocky Mountain School of art. Bierstadt’s paintings imbue the luminism art style. His focus on the light and atmosphere of this serene setting showcases his mastery of depicting the effects of soft, warm, and infusing light.
Bierstadt was born in Germany and moved to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old. As a child he drew with crayons and at 20 years old, he started painting with oils. In the beginning, Bierstadt was a self-taught artist. In 1853, he returned to Germany for four years to study landscape painting at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf. In 1856, he first visited the Alps on a sketching trip with his friend and mentor, American artist, Thomas Worthington Whittredge, and American artist, Sanford Robinson Gifford. Bierstadt created a series of sketches during his trip and turned them into large scale paintings upon returning to his studio. He displayed his European landscapes at the National Academy of Design in New York City.
In 1859, Bierstadt joined a survey expedition with a friend and made his first trip into the American west. This was a journey that he would make multiple times throughout his life. Bierstadt found himself enamored by the dramatic mountains, the rolling plains, the indigenous Americans, and the wildlife. His paintings of Yosemite Valley were so well-received, that most every explorer during the great westward expansion requested his companionship for his ability to document their adventures.
Albert Bierstadt’s paintings of the American West captured the public’s imagination and made him both popular and successful in his day. In addition to the American West, he continued his work on the Swiss Alps, by which he was captivated. It was one of his favorite locations and revisited it time and time again between 1867 and 1897. Once impressionism took over the art world, Bierstadt’s work fell out of public favor.
Albert Bierstadt died in 1902 at 72 years old. His art would remain in obscurity until the 1960s when there was a renewed interest in the National Parks of the United States. His majestic paintings of the American West were rediscovered. In honor of his beautiful mountain scenes, a mountain in Colorado was named after him, Mount Bierstadt.
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