$20,000
Estimate: $30,000 - $50,000
American Art & Pennsylvania Impressionists
Auction: December 6, 2020 2:00:00 PM EDT
Signed 'Bierstadt A' and titled verso, oil on paper laid down to Masonite
12 1/8 x 16 5/8 in. (30.8 x 42.2cm)
Provenance
Roughton Galleries, Dallas, Texas.
Acquired directly from the above.
Private Collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Note
The present work will be accompanied by a copy of a Letter of Authenticity by Mr. Alexander.
Bierstadt had a longstanding affinity for nature and wilderness. He is also well-known for the romanticism he infused in his landscapes, especially the ones featuring Indian encampments, or Native American-related contents, such as Indian Canoe at Lakeside. Painted with painstaking detail and atmospheric lighting, the scene conveys a sense of spirituality through nature. The lonely boat set amidst the vast landscape and the grey sky serves a loose narrative but most importantly is used as a gateway to experience the sublime and maybe reflect on the fragility of the Indian lifestyle. Bierstadt indeed felt that the Native American way of life was “rapidly passing away,” and that it was his duty “to tell his portion of their history.”