Customer Reviews

Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise

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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

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