Sketch of a Mountain Landscape with Trees (from Sketchbook) 1890

Albert Bierstadt sketched this mountain landscape with trees, using graphite on paper, during the 19th century. Bierstadt, a leading figure in the Hudson River School, captured the American West with a romantic and often idealized eye. This sketch offers a glimpse into the artistic process behind the grand, sweeping landscapes that defined his career, but it also hints at the complicated narrative of westward expansion. Bierstadt's landscapes, while beautiful, often glossed over the displacement and violence inflicted on Indigenous peoples. The very act of sketching and painting these lands was intertwined with notions of possession and dominion. Consider how Bierstadt’s work invites us to reflect on the way landscapes are not just spaces, but also cultural and political territories, imbued with histories of both beauty and brutality. As you look at this sketch, think about the stories it tells and those it leaves out.