Oil on linen
110.81cm x 90.17cm
Courtesty of the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University
Art Museums, Mrs William Hayes Fogg
Photo Credit: Katya Kallsen
Image © President and Fellows of Harvard College |
Frederic Lander was leader of the expedition to the Rockies in 1859 in which the artist took part.
Lander died in February 1862 from wounds received in action in the Civil War, and the christening of the peak was
Bierstadt's personal tribute, not a formal geographical fact.
In this picture, a pioneer of the Far West and a hero of the War is commemorated in the very geography of America.
The burst of light evokes the spiritual connotations of high mountains; there is an implication that God Himself resides
in these high places.
> Artist's biography
> View this area on map |
Room 8: The Great West
Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)