Albert Bierstadt (German-born American painter) 1830 – 1902
The Lookout, s.d.
oil on paper laid on board
33 x 47 cm. (13 x 18.5 in.)
signed ABierstadt (lower right)
private collection
Born in 1830, Albert Bierstadt came to America at the age of two when his family emigrated from Germany. They settled in Massachusetts where the budding artist spent his childhood and began exploring his natural artistic talents. As a young man Bierstadt returned to Germany to complete his formal artistic training at the Düsseldorf Art Academy, traveling throughout France and spending a year in Italy to study and sketch the masters. Returning to America in 1857, Bierstadt opened his studio in New York and a year later submitted his first work to the annual exhibition of the National Academy of Design. Three short years later he was elected a full Academician.
Bierstadt traveled extensively throughout his career, executing preparatory sketches which would later serve as the basis for his studio paintings. His travels took him from Europe and the East Coast to such remote western destinations as the Rocky Mountains, Yosemite, and Alaska. Bierstadt journeyed to California twice, first in 1863 and later in 1871. During his lengthy second trip (1871-1873), he lived in San Francisco and ventured out to paint the natural beauty of Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A location that Bierstadt painted frequently was the Merced River near the base of Yosemite Falls. He camped along the river bank in order to paint from the very first light of dawn until the last rays of sunlight had faded. These expertly drafted California landscapes from this period gained Bierstadt high praise from Eastern audiences and helped solidify his fame as an American master.
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