Sketch of a Cliffside with Trees (from Sketchbook)

Art Historical Context

Albert Bierstadt, a leading figure of the Hudson River School, captured the grandeur of American wilderness in his sweeping oil paintings of the Rocky Mountains and Yosemite. This intimate *Sketch of a Cliffside Trees* from his 1890 sketchbook offers a rare glimpse into the artist's preparatory process. Rendered in graphite on wove paper, the modest 4 3/4 x 7 3/4-inch sheet reveals Bierstadt's keen observation of natural forms—rugged cliffs and sturdy trees—likely drawn en plein air during his travels. At age 60, late in his career, he continued honing these quick studies, which informed the d...

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 ...