ALBERT BIERSTADT (AMERICAN 1830-1902) "AUTUMN LANDSCAPE"

Signed with conjoined letters 'ABierstadt' bottom left, oil on paper laid down to Masonite
14 x 18 7/8 in. (35.6 x 47.9cm)

Provenance: Kennedy Galleries, New York, New York.
Parke Bernet, New York, New York, 1975, n.d.
Acquired directly from the above sale.
Collection of Richard M. Scaife, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
NOTE:
German born artist Albert Bierstadt moved at a very young age to the United States with his family, settling in Massachusetts, but returned to his homeland in 1853 to study and paint the Alpine mountains and landscape. Upon his return to America he traveled to the West, photographing and sketching the mountains and rock formations, making countless studies for the massive paintings he would create later in his New York Studio. Possessing a longstanding affinity for nature and wilderness, he is well-known for his affiliation with the Hudson River Valley, where he foudn most of his subjects. The artist's romanticized landscapes of this region, such as the one seen here, were carefully painted with painstaking detail and spectacular lighting. The present lot exhibits his attraction to the fall season and autumnal colors. The distant mountain range, ablaze with orange, yellow, and red hues, subtly juxtaposes the meadow in the foreground, creating a scene of simple, natural majesty.
We wish to thank Ms. Melissa W. Speidel from the Albert Bierstadt Project for confirming the authenticity of the present lot.