Geysers in Yellowstone c. 1881

Albert Bierstadt painted "Geysers in Yellowstone" to capture the American West, a landscape deeply entwined with notions of expansion and national identity. As a German-American artist, Bierstadt brought a romantic sensibility to his depictions of the frontier, an aesthetic deeply shaped by his own positioning as an outsider. His paintings were more than mere landscapes; they were powerful statements that contributed to shaping America's perception of its own vastness. The sublime imagery of Yellowstone's geysers taps into a sense of awe. But beyond the visual spectacle, there's a narrative of land use, conservation, and the displacement of indigenous communities. The painting invites viewers to contemplate the complex relationships between nature, culture, and history, a conversation that includes both the beauty and the cost of Manifest Destiny.