Albert Bierstadt [1830-1902] was a German-American painter, best known for his lavish landscapes of the American West. He began painting in New England and upstate New York, but traveled westward several times throughout his career. Bierstadt painted on uncommonly large convases, which offended critics of his day who thought this to be an egotistical indulgence. In 1882, his studio was detroyed by fire and many of his pieces were lost. |