Study of Rocks and Trees by a Lake
Medium
Graphite on buff-colored wove paper
Dimensions
11 9/16 x 15 11/16 in. (29.4 x 39.8 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Maurice Glickman, 1977
Accession Number
1977.427
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albert Bierstadt, a leading figure of the Hudson River School, was renowned for his sweeping, luminous landscapes that captured the grandeur of the American wilderness in the 19th century. This intimate *Study of Rocks and Trees a Lake* exemplifies his meticulous preparatory work, likely sketched en plein air during his expeditions to capture nature's raw beauty. Though the date is unknown, it reflects Bierstadt's Romantic fascination with the sublime—towering rocks, rugged trees, and serene waters evoking the untamed American frontier. Rendered in graphite on buff-colored wove paper, the dra...
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 ...