Sunrise in the Sierras

Albert Bierstadt, Sunrise in the Sierras, ca. 1872, oil on paper mounted on paperboard, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.8
Copied Albert Bierstadt, Sunrise in the Sierras, ca. 1872, oil on paper mounted on paperboard, 13 1218 78 in. (34.347.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Orrin Wickersham June, 1967.136.8
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Sunrise in the Sierras
Date
ca. 1872
Dimensions
13 1218 78 in. (34.347.9 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Orrin Wickersham June
Mediums
Mediums Description
oil on paper mounted on paperboard
Classifications
Keywords
  • Landscape — California
  • Landscape — time — sunrise
  • Landscape — mountain — Sierra Nevada Mountains
Object Number
1967.136.8

Artwork Description

In 1872, Albert Bierstadt traveled deep into Kings River canyon in the South Sierra Nevada with the geologist Clarence King. He created many paintings on this trip, believing that people back East would be fascinated by images of the distant western states. In Sunrise in the Sierras the sunlight bouncing off the tips of the mountains emphasizes the vivid color of the rock against the dark, unfinished foreground. (Anderson and Ferber, Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise, 1990)