Trees on a Cliffside (from Sketchbook) 1890

Albert Bierstadt sketched "Trees on a Cliffside" in graphite on paper, as part of a sketchbook. Bierstadt was a leading figure in the Hudson River School, which romanticized the American landscape, often eliding the violence of settler colonialism. This sketch hints at the complicated relationship between expansion, landscape, and identity. While the Hudson River School celebrated the 'untouched' American wilderness, this vision often erased the presence and rights of Indigenous peoples who were the original inhabitants and stewards of these lands. Bierstadt's work contributed to a narrative that justified westward expansion, obscuring the displacement and suffering of Native American tribes. "Trees on a Cliffside" prompts us to reflect on the stories we tell about our landscapes and the values they reflect.