On the Hudson River Near Irvington 1866 - 1870

This painting, titled "On the Hudson River Near Irvington", was created by Albert Bierstadt, using oil paint on canvas. Notice how the texture of the brushstrokes gives a hazy appearance, capturing the glowing light of a sunset. Oil paint is interesting because it’s relatively easy to blend, and that accounts for the lovely gradations of color here. But more than that, oil paint has a uniquely lustrous quality, which enhances the feeling of warmth emanating from the sky. The landscape tradition has been practiced for centuries, but reached new heights as an academic subject during the 19th-century. Bierstadt was interested in the social context of landscape as a resource, and his paintings encouraged migration to the American West. Considering the materials, making, and context of this artwork underscores how traditional distinctions between fine art and craft are challenged, inviting us to appreciate its full meaning.