100% Hand-Painted Oil
Albert Bierstadt's Buffalo on the Plains portrays a fleeting moment in American history when massive herds of bison were still free to wander. Bierstadt, who is well-known for his wide, melancholy dep...
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Features
“Buffalo on the Plains”
by Albert Bierstadt
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Author
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Color
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Brown,
Green,
Yellow,
Blue,
Red,
Orange,
Grey
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Tags
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The Last Of The Buffalo,
Albert Bierstadt,
Hudson River School,
Landscape,
Nature,
American West,
Sunset,
19th Century,
Famous Painting,
Wildlife,
Conservation
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| Main Features | |
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Alternate Titles
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Bison Roaming The Prairie
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Art Movement
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Romanticism
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Historical Events
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Westward Expansion
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| Visual and Stylistic Elements | |
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Brushwork/Texture
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Bold And Expressive
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Focal Point
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The Herd Of Buffalo
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Light Source
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Natural Sunlight
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Objects
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Bison , Prairie , Grass , Trees , Mountains , Sky , Clouds
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Orientation
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Horizontal
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Perspective
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Expansive Perspective
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| Original Masterpiece Features | |
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Condition/Restoration History
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Minimal Restoration
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Creation Process
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Oil On Canvas
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Inscriptions/Signatures
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Signed By Bierstadt
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Patron/Commissioner
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None
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Provenance
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
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| Influences and Related Works | |
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Influences
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Hudson River School
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Related Works
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Among The Sierra Nevada Mountains
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| Exhibition and Market Information | |
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Auction Price
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Not For Sale
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Criticism & Reception
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Highly Regarded For Its Dramatic Landscape
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Cultural Significance
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Depicts The Vastness Of The Untouched American Frontier
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Current Owner
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Smithsonian American Art Museum
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Exhibition History
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Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington
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Insurance Value
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Priceless
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Market Trends
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High Demand
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Public Domain Status
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Public Domain
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Reproductions
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Highly Reproduced
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Description
“Buffalo on the Plains”
by Albert Bierstadt
Albert Bierstadt's Buffalo on the Plains portrays a fleeting moment in American history when massive herds of bison were still free to wander. Bierstadt, who is well-known for his wide, melancholy depictions of the American West, saw this picture as both an artistic creation and a document of a way of life that was disappearing before his very eyes.
The foreground of this composition is dominated by buffalo, whose massive, dark shapes contrast with the golden grasslands and the vast sky above. It's a tableau of subdued power. Unaware of the significant changes that are about to occur, the animals feed, move, and coexist with the land. Although the undulating plains appear to go on forever, Bierstadt knew that this unbroken region will not last forever.
Light plays an essential role in the painting. The sky is not stormy or foreboding but filled with soft, diffused sunlight that bathes the land in warmth. Not only is this a portrayal of a particular point in time, but it is also an elegy for a dying globe. By the time Bierstadt created this picture, massive killing and westward migration had decimated the buffalo population to a small portion of its former size.
The buffalo in Bierstadt's artwork exudes love. They are not only subjects. They stand for courage, perseverance, and the wild spirit of the frontier. A sense of peace and melancholy is created by the size of the area and the arrangement of the animals. There is more to Buffalo on the Plains than merely a picturesque scene. It considers time and a continent's development.
Reviews
“Buffalo on the Plains”
by Albert Bierstadt
Q/A
“Buffalo on the Plains”
by Albert Bierstadt
Experts answer questions
Additional Information
“Buffalo on the Plains”
by Albert Bierstadt
“Bierstadt documented a world that was rapidly vanishing.” Nancy Anderson
“His buffalo paintings are elegies for a lost wilderness.” Matthew Baigell
“Bierstadt painted the West with the grandeur it deserved.” Gordon Hendricks
“The buffalo roaming free across endless plains - Bierstadt knew this would soon be only memory.” Gerald Carr
“In these animals, Bierstadt saw the spirit of wild America.” Barbara Novak
#1. Vanishing Wildlife. Bierstadt painted buffalo when the great herds were being decimated, creating a record of what was being lost.
#2. Western Expeditions. The artist made several trips West, documenting landscapes and wildlife he encountered.
#3. Commercial Appeal. Buffalo paintings were popular with Eastern collectors fascinated by the American West.
#4. Conservation Awareness. Such paintings helped raise awareness of the disappearing wilderness.
#5. Atmospheric Mastery. Bierstadt's rendering of light across the plains creates a sense of infinite space.
