Albert Bierstadt
Few artists did more to popularize the American West than German-born Albert Bierstadt. The enormous canvases he painted from sketches made during several trips to western American landmarks such as the Rocky Mountains and Mount Corcoran in the Sierra Nevada only made his reputation for panoramic landscapes grow. Bierstadt’s travels took him across the United States and Europe, though he freely changed the details of places he painted in order to heighten the drama and excitement of his compositions.
How do the histories of Native Americans affect life in this country today?
Bierstadt’s warrior skillfully rides bareback on a rearing horse, ready to strike a struggling buffalo with his spear. His muscular body and athletic pose recall the classical conventions of ancient Greek sculpture. The scene takes place against the indistinct backdrop of an endless prairie and a flattened, cloud-filled sky. A second Native American on horseback rushes into view from the middle ground, attempting to aid the hunt with his arrow aimed at the burly beast.
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Rockefeller 3rd
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