Native of the Woods 

Albert Bierstadt made this oil on paperboard sketch, "Native of the Woods," sometime during his career. The loose brushwork is characteristic of a study, not a finished painting. But the artist’s technique is more than just a means to an end. The blending of browns and greens, and the soft way the deer seems to melt into the forest floor, speaks to the animal’s inherent connection to its environment. Bierstadt was a keen observer of the American landscape, but also an entrepreneur, mass-marketing his work. He was acutely aware of the changing landscape, and the expansion of industry and settlement, which threatened the wilderness he painted. Perhaps that's why he made this poignant image. It reminds us that a work's meaning lies not only in what is represented, but how that representation is achieved through artistic techniques and materials.