Scenery in the Grand Tetons
Albert Bierstadt
1865 – 1870
This mountain landscape acquired its title, which specifically mentions the Tetons, after Bierstadt's lifetime. However, it could more properly be called a generalized Western mountain panorama. The juxtaposition of water and sheer mountain heights and the theatrical deployment of storm clouds and slanting light are characteristic of Bierstadt's style. Laurance Rockefeller acquired this painting in the 1960s for the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion. It was a reminder of his family's long commitment to Grand Teton National Park, and the preservation of the mountains, lakes, and valleys in that spectacularly beautiful and dramatic part of the West.
Oil on canvas. L 75, W 111 cm
Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park, MABI 2843