Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902) rivaled Frederic Church as the foremost painter of landscape spectacles in the mid- to late 19th century. Bierstadt’s views of the Rocky Mountains and the Yosemite Valley defined the West for Americans who would never otherwise have seen it. His Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point Trail of about 1873 depicts wildness and grandeur, but it was also composed to make a statement about possession and tourism. Generously sponsored by the Martin A. Ryerson Lectureship Fund.



In each lecture in this series, John Walsh selects an American painting in the Gallery’s collection and examines the similarities and differences between depiction and reality, returning to the painter’s original vantage point in an attempt to work out just what happened when he returned to the studio.



Note: This lecture is the fourth in the series American Views, Viewpoints, and Manipulations. All lectures are held in the Robert L. McNeil, Jr., Lecture Hall. Seating is limited. Doors open one hour prior to each lecture. Free tickets to the lecture are handed out in the lobby beginning one hour prior; ticket holders are guaranteed a seat.