Mountain Brook

1863

Albert Bierstadt is best remembered for his paintings of the American West, but during his early career, the ambitious artist also created New England landscapes, particularly of the White Mountains, as seen here. When this painting was first exhibited in 1863, critics declared it Bierstadt’s “best work” and praised the artist’s skillful contrast of “light and shade,” which brings a heightened realism to the image.

Public domain · CC0
Free to download and reuse. Image courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago.

Artist

Albert Bierstadt (American, born Solingen, Prussia, now Germany, 1830–1902)

Date

1863

Medium

Oil on canvas

Dimensions

111.8 × 91.4 cm (44 × 36 in.)

Origin

United States

Collection

Art Institute of Chicago

Credit

Purchased with funds provided by Mrs. Herbert A. Vance; fund of an anonymous donor; Wesley M. Dixon Jr. Fund and Endowment; Henry Horner Straus and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick G. Wacker Jr. endowment funds; through prior acquisitions of various donors, including Samuel P. Avery Endowment, Mrs. George A. Carpenter, Frederick S. Colburn, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Feinberg, Field Museum of Natural History, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Harding, International Minerals and Chemicals Corp., Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Loeff, Mrs. Frank C. Miller, Mahlan D. Moulds, Mrs. Clive Runnells, Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Stone, and the Charles H. and Mary F.S. Worcester Collection