Campfire, Yosemite Valley 

Albert Bierstadt painted 'Campfire, Yosemite Valley' using oil on paper. Bierstadt, associated with the Hudson River School, captured the American West during a period of expansion, but his paintings also obscured the violent displacement of Indigenous peoples. Here, a lone figure stands by a campfire at night, dwarfed by the imposing landscape. The bright fire illuminates a small circle, contrasting with the surrounding darkness. In the mid-19th century, Yosemite Valley was becoming a popular tourist destination. Artists like Bierstadt helped shape perceptions of the West as a sublime, untouched wilderness. However, this romanticized view often erased the presence and history of the Native American tribes who had lived in the region for thousands of years. As you look at this painting, consider the complex relationship between landscape, identity, and power. What stories are told and what stories are left out? The solitary figure by the fire evokes feelings of both awe and isolation, prompting us to reflect on our place within the vastness of nature.