Gates of the Yosemite
ca. 1882
Medium
Painting
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Marvin J. and Shirley F. Sonosky in memory of Harryette Cohn
Accession Number
2006.1.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albert Bierstadt’s “Gates of the Yosemite,” painted around 1882, captures the dramatic entrance to Yosemite Valley in California with the sweeping grandeur that made the artist famous. As a leading figure of the Hudson River School, Bierstadt specialized in luminous, large-scale landscapes that celebrated the American West. His work helped shape public fascination with Yosemite at a time when the region was becoming a symbol of national pride and natural wonder. This later canvas reflects the enduring appeal of Yosemite National Park, which had been set aside for preservation just a decade ea...
About the Artist
Albert Bierstadt · 1830–1902
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) was a German-American landscape painter renowned for his monumental, luminous depictions of the American West. As a prominent member of the second generation of the Hudson River School and the Rocky Mountain School, Bierstadt created sweeping panoramas that captured the sublime grandeur of untamed wilderness with unprecedented theatrical scale and romantic vision. His ...