
Albert BierstadtVereinigte Staaten, 1830–1902Darf man es sehen?
Chicago, Vereinigte Staaten
Es gehört zur Sammlung, ist derzeit aber nicht ausgestellt.
Albert Bierstadt is best remembered for his paintings of the American West, but during his early career, the ambitious artist also created New England landscapes, particularly of the White Mountains, as seen here. When this painting was first exhibited in 1863, critics declared it Bierstadt’s “best work” and praised the artist’s deft contrast of “light and shade,” which brought a heightened realism to the image. Bierstadt’s affinity for the White Mountains mirrored a growing interest in the region as one of America’s premier tourist attractions. Photographs of the area from the 19th century suggest that Bierstadt utilized landscape elements from the Flume, a popular New Hampshire tourist site, in this imaginary composition.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
December 1861
“Guerrilla Warfare” shown in Brooklyn
Bierstadt based this Civil War painting on his brief stay with soldiers at Camp Cameron in 1861 and on a stereoscopic photograph by his brother Edward. Shown by the Brooklyn Art Association at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, it received a favourable review.
1863
West again, with the writer Fitz Hugh Ludlow
Bierstadt's companion was the writer Fitz Hugh Ludlow, whose wife he later married; the two spent seven weeks in the Yosemite Valley. Studies from the trip fed his huge exhibition canvases through the 1860s, which made him the pre-eminent painter of the American West.
1863
A first ascent: Mount Rosalie in Colorado
With the politician William Byers, Bierstadt made the first ascent of a 4,348-metre peak and named it Rosalie after Fitz Hugh Ludlow's wife, his own future wife (other accounts call it Mount Rosa; in 1895 it was renamed Evans). The same year he was the first to climb a neighbouring 4,287-metre peak, which still bears his name.
1863
Drafted — and pays for a substitute
During the Civil War Bierstadt was drafted and paid for a substitute to serve in his place.
1865
“The Rocky Mountains” sells for $25,000
“The Rocky Mountains, Lander's Peak” was bought for $25,000 — almost $400,000 in 2020 money: financial recognition confirmed his standing.