Lake Lucerne 1858

Albert Bierstadt's 'Lake Lucerne' presents a sweeping vista rendered in oil paint. Bierstadt, a leading figure in the Hudson River School, painted this idealized landscape at a time when the American West was being 'discovered,' conquered, and incorporated into the United States. The panoramic scale and dramatic lighting create a sense of awe and grandeur, echoing the rhetoric of Manifest Destiny. These landscapes, while seemingly apolitical, played a crucial role in shaping national identity and justifying westward expansion. The sublime natural beauty on display obscures the displacement and violence inflicted upon Indigenous populations. To fully understand this painting, we need to consider its place within the cultural and political context of 19th-century America. Archival research into the artist's biography, the art market, and the history of westward expansion can reveal the complex ways in which art is implicated in the construction of power and ideology.