Albert Bierstadt

German/American, 1830-1902

Albert Bierstadt was a German American painter best known for dreamy, large-scale Western landscapes. As a prominent member of the Hudson River School, he combined detailed realism with a romantic sense of scale and light. Born in Solingen, Germany, and raised in Massachusetts, Bierstadt studied in Düsseldorf before returning to the U.S. His training shaped his precise technique, which he applied in monumental scenes of Yosemite, the Rocky Mountains, and other Western vistas. 

Bierstadt’s paintings not only captured the American frontier but influenced perceptions of westward expansion. His dramatic use of light and expansive compositions made works like The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak, 1863 and Valley of the Yosemite, 1864 iconic. His extensive travel to California, Missouri, and other western states allowed him to capture these landscapes with accuracy.

His painting Old Faithful, Yellowstone—sold through Doyle for $191,000—reflects both his technical mastery and the continued interest in American landscape painting among today’s collectors. Today, Bierstadt’s art remains central to the study and collection of American 19th-century painting, valued by museums, private collectors, and specialists alike.