Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise [Hardcover]

Nancy K. Anderson (Author), Linda S. Ferber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1991

Bierstadt was the great recorder of the American western landscape. He was the first artist with both the technique and the talent to convey the powerful visual impact of western space and to capture the scale of America's mountains. This magnificent volume provides a full appreciation of his talent as an artist.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: Hudson Hills Pr; 1st edition (March 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555950590
• ISBN-13: 978-1555950590
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 10.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,128,154 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive and Revealing Book on Bierstadt, January 7, 2012

By 

Theseus "theseus" (US of A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Albert Bierstadt : Art and Enterprise (Paperback)

I'm neither a scholar nor a specialist, but I've seen a number of books on Bierstadt over the years and this volume from The Brooklyn Museum provides an astoundingly intelligent and moving portrait of Bierstadt and his work.

First -- it's a big one. Large format, 327 pp, 4 pounds. Color illustrations throughout with a number of small b&w images. While not formally a catalogue raisonne, this book certainly acts like one, providing images and information for hundreds of Bierstadt pieces.

Since this book was released in the 1990's the quality of reproduction is quite good.

More importantly, however, this book looks as Bierstadt as Bierstadt. He isn't viewed as merely a part of the Hudson River School, the Rocky Mountain School, or as a popularizer of Luminism. He's considered as an artist who had a long and truly odd career depicting a number of different subjects. This is to be lauded.

And there is a section in this book on Bierstadt as printmaker! This is part of the "enterprise" part of Bierstadt which this book embraces. He was an artist, yes, but also a commercially successful maker of images. He loved the big canvas, the big impact, the odd color choice; he was a trader in awesomeness and a sort of dewey, Romantic, spiritual landscape which was soon to disappear as the 20th century showed up. I love Bierstadt for all of these reasons and this book provides valuable perspectives on this part of his work.

Anyway, here's what is inside...

TABLE OF CONTENTS HIGHLIGHTS
Preface

Albert Bierstadt -- The History of a Reputation
"Wondrously Full of Invention" The Western Landscapes

Chronology and Colorplates
- 1830-1858 New Bedford Youth, European Apprenticeship
- 1859-1862 Rocky Mountains
- 1863-1870 Overland to California, Return to Europe
- 1871-1879 New Subjects, New Patrons
- 1880-1902 Late Years

Bierstadt and the Business of Printmaking

Bibliography
Appendix: Catalogue of the New Bedford Art Exhibition
Appendix: Reminiscences of an Overlander, Fitz Hugh Ludlow
Index

0 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars art text, October 7, 2010

By 

Carolyn H. Neville "Paintlady" (Whitakers, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise (Hardcover)

fast delivery in very good condition for a used book/only a slight dent on one corner.