Sunrise in the Sierras c. 1872

Albert Bierstadt, a German-American painter, created "Sunrise in the Sierras," an oil on paper artwork during a time of westward expansion in America. This was a period marked by both the glorification of the American landscape and the displacement of Native peoples. Bierstadt's paintings often depicted the grandeur of the American West, yet they also served to promote an idea of untouched wilderness, conveniently erasing the presence and history of Indigenous communities. While the artist expressed a personal awe and reverence for nature through dramatic light and scale, his landscapes became implicated in the cultural narrative of Manifest Destiny. Consider how this depiction of the Sierra Nevada mountains might resonate differently depending on one's relationship to the land. For some, it evokes a sense of sublime beauty; for others, a reminder of historical dispossession and the erasure of cultural identity. This painting stands as a powerful symbol, reflecting both the allure and the complex legacy of the American West.