Albert Bierstadt was an American painter of German birth. His career spanned the entire second half of the 19th century, and emerged as the first technically sophisticated artist to travel to the Far West of America (Turner, 43). On this trip, he recorded his experiences through sketches and stereoscopic photographs of Indians, emigrants and members of the survey party. It was his many sketches and photographs made throughout his several trips to the West that Bierstadt used to create his paintings. Unlike many artists who are discovered after their death, Bierstadt achieved his dream of fame while in the prime of his painting. His paintings were purchased by the wealthy and titled, thus enabling him to live very comfortably.
Valley of the Yosemite by Albert Bierstadt is a beautiful landscape
Being a late romanticist artist, Bierstadt became internationally
the clouds, the jagged rock face, the glistening of the water, the leaves on the trees all done with very small brushstrokes. A great sense of depth is established through contrast, overlapping and atmospheric perspective. The closest rock faces are low in value as they are being deprived of the sunlight. As the curve of the valley disappears, so does the high value of the farthest visible rock face, as it tucks itself behind the middle ground. Depth is also achieved by the long “S” curves of the river which grow closer together and quickly disappear, but can still be followed in the imagination. The use of atmospheric perspective is successful in the piece. As the landscape gets further away, objects become less detailed, and even
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