Sentinel. Front View: 3270 Feet. 1861

"Sentinel. Front View: 3270 Feet." is a striking 1861 photograph by Carleton E. Watkins, depicting the towering granite cliffs of Yosemite Valley. The image captures the raw beauty and grandeur of the landscape, showcasing the dramatic scale of the natural world. Watkins, a pioneer of landscape photography, used a large-format camera and painstaking techniques to create detailed and evocative images that helped to popularize Yosemite as a national treasure. This photograph, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, exemplifies Watkins' mastery of the medium and his ability to convey the awe-inspiring power of the American wilderness.