Sketch of Mountains and Lake (from Sketchbook)
1890
Medium
Graphite on wove paper
Dimensions
4 3/4 x 7 3/4 in. (12.1 x 19.7 cm)
Classification
Drawing
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Marguerite H. Rohlfs, 1995
Accession Number
1995.379.4kk recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albert Bierstadt, a leading figure of the Hudson River School and master of luminist landscapes, captured the majestic American wilderness in this intimate *Sketch of Mountains and Lake from his 1890book. Rendered in graphite on wove paper the small-scale drawing (just 4 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches) depicts towering mountains framing a serene lake, dotted with trees—a quintessential motif in Bierstadt's oeuvre celebrating the sublime beauty of nature, often inspired by his expeditions to the Rocky Mountains and Yosemite. Created late in Bierstadt's career (1830–1902), this quick pencil study exemplifi...
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 ...