Sunset over a Mountain Lake 

Albert Bierstadt created this painting, Sunset over a Mountain Lake, using oil on paper. While these are traditional materials, we can consider the historical context in which Bierstadt, and other landscape painters of the period, were working. As industrialization progressed, the American landscape was under increasing threat from logging, mining, and railroad construction. The Hudson River School artists, and those like Bierstadt who followed, were thus deeply engaged with the romantic ideal of an untouched wilderness, producing images of sublime nature. However, this romantic ideal was only possible due to the work involved in extracting raw materials from the landscape. When we appreciate the amount of work involved in Bierstadt's creative process, from preparing pigments to applying them to the paper, it's easier to understand the significance of his artistic project. So, the next time you see a painting of this kind, remember that its material is as important as its subject. This challenges us to consider the relationship between art, industry, and the natural world.