Albert Bierstadt (American, 1830–1902)
Adirondack Stream
Oil on canvas
Signed lower left
Canvas: 12.25 x 10.25 in. (31.1 x 26 cm)
Frame: 20 x 18 in. (50.8 x 45.7 cm)
In Adirondack Stream, Albert Bierstadt captures the serene majesty of a quiet woodland waterway with his hallmark precision and dramatic sense of light. A dense canopy of trees surrounds the glistening stream, where a solitary egret wades near the rocks, inviting the viewer to experience a moment of untouched wilderness. The play of sunlight filtering through the foliage and the richly textured surfaces speak to Bierstadt’s technical mastery and deep reverence for the natural world.
One of the foremost figures of the Hudson River School and a key interpreter of the American landscape, Bierstadt was born in Germany and raised in New England. He trained at the Düsseldorf Academy and gained fame for his sweeping panoramic views of the American West. Though best known for his monumental canvases, Bierstadt also painted more intimate scenes like this one, which reflect his nuanced sensitivity to mood, atmosphere, and ecological detail.
