Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902)

Yosemite (Oil, 1866)

Yosemite was one of Bierstadt's most beloved subjects, and he made many paintings of it.  Although the valley was still very much in a wild, primitive state, in this painting, Bierstadt portrays the valley as orderly and park-like. He has eliminated clutter, keeping the elements of the painting to only the essentials.  The painting is balanced beautifully by positioning the foreground trees on the left and the mountain massif in the right background.