Merced River, California 

Albert Bierstadt painted 'Merced River, California' with oil on canvas, a traditional technique that allowed him to build up layers of color and detail. The smooth canvas provides a foundation that contrasts with the ruggedness of the natural scene depicted. You can see the brushstrokes in the leaves and water, creating texture and depth. But the illusion of the landscape is prioritised over any demonstration of artistic labor. Bierstadt was part of the Hudson River School, a movement which celebrated the American landscape, but also contributed to the romanticizing of westward expansion, with little regard for the exploitation of resources and labor involved. The very act of painting a landscape like this involved a complex economy: from the production of pigments to the transportation of materials. By focusing on the natural beauty, Bierstadt glosses over the social and economic realities of the time, reinforcing the idea of the American West as a pristine, untouched wilderness, ready for the taking. This painting then, is less about the landscape itself, and more about the cultural values and assumptions that shaped its representation.