Albert Bierstadt was the most esteemed and widely-known painter of the American West during the second half of the nineteenth century. His paintings reveal a uniquely romantic vision of what was then considered the exotic ‘other’ half of the country. Born in Germany, Bierstadt was brought to the U.S. as a child but returned to Dusseldorf to study art in 1853. There, he developed his heroic view of nature, dramatic use of light, and meticulous attention to detail. He made his first expedition out west nine years later, setting the course for his entire career. Bierstadt exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, garnering huge prices for his paintings and winning countless prices. Today, his work is featured in every major museum, including The White House, the Whitney Museum of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.