Standard (from Sketchbook)
ca. 1891
Medium
Graphite on wove paper with gilt edges, bound in a leather cover
Dimensions
4 3/4 x 7 3/4 x 7/16 in. (12.1 x 19.7 x 1.1 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
1995.379.3h verso
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albert Bierstadt, the renowned 19th-century American landscape painter associated with the Hudson River School created this intimate drawing titled *Standard (from Sketchbook)* around 1891. Best known for his grand, luminous depictions of the American West—like towering mountains bathed in golden light—this graphite sketch offers a rare glimpse into his preparatory process late in his career. Housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflects Bierstadt's American identity and fascination with national symbols, as suggested by its flag-related theme. Rendered in graphite o...
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 ...