Albert BierstadtAmerican, 1830–1902Merced River, Yosemite Valley
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “Merced River, Yosemite Valley” now? The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gallery 756, New York. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.
New York, United States
Open now· until 5:00 PM
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
Details
- Accession number
- 09.214.1
What it shows
In the catalog
Sources
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Image: The Metropolitan Museum of Art — Open Access (CC0)
In the life of Albert Bierstadt
The whole life1865
“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.
1867
Shows his landscapes to Queen Victoria in London
Back in Europe, Bierstadt began in London, where he showed two of his landscapes to Queen Victoria at a private reception.
1867–1869
Two years in Europe: pictures, contacts, publicity
For two years Bierstadt travelled around Europe, painting new works and cultivating social and business contacts to sustain the market for his art on the continent. He matched grand subjects with entrepreneurial flair: his one-picture exhibitions came with promotion and ticket sales — 'a vast machinery of advertisement and puffery', in one critic's words.
1868
The Yosemite pictures bring invitations to expeditions
The publicity around his Yosemite Valley paintings led a number of explorers to ask Bierstadt to join their westward expeditions. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad commissioned him to visit and paint the Grand Canyon and the surrounding region.
