Studies of Coats of Arms for the Landing of Columbus (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
1995.379.3b recto
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this intimate sketchbook page from around 1891, American artist Albert Bierstadt—renowned for his monumental Hudson River School landscapes of the American West—turns his hand to heraldic design. Titled *Studies of Coats of for the Landing of Columbus*, the work features precise graphite drawings on wove paper, exploring symbolic emblems tied to Christopher Columbus's historic 1492 arrival in the. Bound in a leather cover with gilt edges, the compact volume (just 4 3/4 x 7 3/4 inches) reveals Bierstadt's meticulous preparatory process, a rare glimpse into the planning stages of what may hav...
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 ...