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Lot Essay
In an age when public curiosity fueled interest in the unknown and the notion of Manifest Destiny swept the nation, Albert Bierstadt’s primary motivation was to transcribe the glorious and unblemished world that he witnessed. In his powerful and striking works, Bierstadt sought to convey his impression of the landscape and manipulate the atmospheric effects in order to heighten it to that of the sublime. Cascading Falls manifests Bierstadt’s greatest gift as an artist, his ability to transfer his personal sense of wonderment to the viewer through his adept use of perspective, light, color and composition.
Bierstadt's depictions of the Northeast and his majestic paintings of the American West manifest the profound veneration and wonder that he maintained for nature. In summarizing Bierstadt’s achievement, Gordon Hendricks wrote that “his successes envelop us with the beauty of nature, its sunlight, its greenness, its mist, its subtle shades, its marvelous freshness. All of these Bierstadt felt deeply. Often he was able, with the struggle that every artist knows, to put his feelings on canvas. When he succeeded in what he was trying to do…he was as good as any landscapist in the history of American art.” (Albert Bierstadt: Painter of the American West, New York, 1973, p. 10)
Between 1852 and 1869, Bierstadt made numerous trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he sketched the dramatic landscape and, along with his brothers, took stereographic photographs of the region. Bierstadt was immediately captivated by the operatic light, color and topography of the landscape, and, during his numerous expeditions throughout the Northeast he developed a profound connection to these dramatic locales. By 1851 the White Mountains saw increased tourist activity due to the recent completion of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, which later became the Grand Trunk Railway and provided easy transportation from Portland, Maine, to Gorham, New Hampshire. Numerous hotels opened to accommodate the expanding activity and ensured that the once-elusive panoramic views of the Presidential Range at the top of Mount Washington could be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Throughout the summer of 1862 it was reported that Bierstadt spent nearly the entire period sketching in New Hampshire. In January 1863, the NY Leader noted “that nearly an entire wall of his studio is filled with studies and sketches from his White Mountain sojourn.” (N. Anderson, L. Ferber, R. Wright, Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise, p. 149) Painted in 1863, Cascading Falls is a superb example that reflects the artist’s reverence for the American landscape. In this composition, Bierstadt paints the details of the trees, rocks and water with an eye towards creating an utterly placid, naturalistic scene. An almost spiritual light streams in from the left and immediately carries the viewer’s eye to the intricately painted whitetail deer in the foreground. Although he often chose to paint landscapes without animals or figures, in the present work, Bierstadt uses them to effectively emphasize the magnificence and power of nature. Massive trees loom above the deer, creating a dense forest canopy that permits subtle traces of sunlight that illuminate the lush forest, particularly the peeling bark of the white birch tree. The cascading waterfall in the distance further enriches the scene and the overall tranquility of the composition.
While many of Bierstadt’s large scale paintings do not depict a precise location, it is possible that Cascading Falls presents Glen Ellis Falls in Jackson, New Hampshire. A stereograph from the early 1860s published by the Bierstadt Brothers features a group of figures congregated at the base of Glen Ellis Falls. In response to this stenograph and many others, the Canyon, in a January 1861 article, addressed “admirers of photographs,” and called “their attention to ‘a series of views and studies taken in the White Mountains, published by Bierstadt Brothers, of New Bedford, Mass. The plates are of large size and are remarkably effective. The artistic taste of Mr. Albert Bierstadt, who selected the points of view, is apparent in them. No better photographs have been published in this country.” (as quoted in N. Anderson, L. Ferber, R. Wright, Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise, p. 147) Then in 1869, Bierstadt painted a large scale oil painting titled Glen Ellis Falls (Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey), further supporting his affinity for the location. In Cascading Falls Bierstadt masterfully captures the splendor of the Edenic landscape while imbuing the canvas with a celestial light that conveys the sublimity of the natural world.
Bierstadt's depictions of the Northeast and his majestic paintings of the American West manifest the profound veneration and wonder that he maintained for nature. In summarizing Bierstadt’s achievement, Gordon Hendricks wrote that “his successes envelop us with the beauty of nature, its sunlight, its greenness, its mist, its subtle shades, its marvelous freshness. All of these Bierstadt felt deeply. Often he was able, with the struggle that every artist knows, to put his feelings on canvas. When he succeeded in what he was trying to do…he was as good as any landscapist in the history of American art.” (Albert Bierstadt: Painter of the American West, New York, 1973, p. 10)
Between 1852 and 1869, Bierstadt made numerous trips to the White Mountains of New Hampshire where he sketched the dramatic landscape and, along with his brothers, took stereographic photographs of the region. Bierstadt was immediately captivated by the operatic light, color and topography of the landscape, and, during his numerous expeditions throughout the Northeast he developed a profound connection to these dramatic locales. By 1851 the White Mountains saw increased tourist activity due to the recent completion of the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, which later became the Grand Trunk Railway and provided easy transportation from Portland, Maine, to Gorham, New Hampshire. Numerous hotels opened to accommodate the expanding activity and ensured that the once-elusive panoramic views of the Presidential Range at the top of Mount Washington could be enjoyed by a wider audience.
Throughout the summer of 1862 it was reported that Bierstadt spent nearly the entire period sketching in New Hampshire. In January 1863, the NY Leader noted “that nearly an entire wall of his studio is filled with studies and sketches from his White Mountain sojourn.” (N. Anderson, L. Ferber, R. Wright, Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise, p. 149) Painted in 1863, Cascading Falls is a superb example that reflects the artist’s reverence for the American landscape. In this composition, Bierstadt paints the details of the trees, rocks and water with an eye towards creating an utterly placid, naturalistic scene. An almost spiritual light streams in from the left and immediately carries the viewer’s eye to the intricately painted whitetail deer in the foreground. Although he often chose to paint landscapes without animals or figures, in the present work, Bierstadt uses them to effectively emphasize the magnificence and power of nature. Massive trees loom above the deer, creating a dense forest canopy that permits subtle traces of sunlight that illuminate the lush forest, particularly the peeling bark of the white birch tree. The cascading waterfall in the distance further enriches the scene and the overall tranquility of the composition.
While many of Bierstadt’s large scale paintings do not depict a precise location, it is possible that Cascading Falls presents Glen Ellis Falls in Jackson, New Hampshire. A stereograph from the early 1860s published by the Bierstadt Brothers features a group of figures congregated at the base of Glen Ellis Falls. In response to this stenograph and many others, the Canyon, in a January 1861 article, addressed “admirers of photographs,” and called “their attention to ‘a series of views and studies taken in the White Mountains, published by Bierstadt Brothers, of New Bedford, Mass. The plates are of large size and are remarkably effective. The artistic taste of Mr. Albert Bierstadt, who selected the points of view, is apparent in them. No better photographs have been published in this country.” (as quoted in N. Anderson, L. Ferber, R. Wright, Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise, p. 147) Then in 1869, Bierstadt painted a large scale oil painting titled Glen Ellis Falls (Zimmerli Art Museum at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey), further supporting his affinity for the location. In Cascading Falls Bierstadt masterfully captures the splendor of the Edenic landscape while imbuing the canvas with a celestial light that conveys the sublimity of the natural world.