Study of a Rowboat: View Toward the Stern (from Sketchbook) 1891

Albert Bierstadt likely made this pencil sketch, titled "Study of a Rowboat: View Toward the Stern," in the mid-19th century. During this period, the United States was expanding westward, and artists like Bierstadt played a significant role in shaping perceptions of the American landscape. This sketch offers a glimpse into the artist's process. Note how Bierstadt's detailed rendering of the rowboat contrasts with the vaguer shapes next to the boat. How might this difference reflect his vision of the American landscape? Moreover, we might think about how the theme of exploration and expansion is closely tied to the landscape genre, reflecting notions of manifest destiny and the displacement of indigenous peoples. Bierstadt's work encourages us to reflect on whose stories are being told and whose are being erased. This piece serves as a reminder of the complex relationship between art, identity, and the stories we tell about ourselves.