Museums House Albert Bierstadt’s Paintings

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People in a painting museum.

Many Americans and other art lovers worldwide appreciate the German-American painter Albert Bierstadt’s art. He created more than 500 paintings, and many art scholars believe it could be more than 4,000 works of art. Art lovers and scholars sometimes have problems with such a “productive” artist. They feel they will never see enough of the artist’s works because they are housed in collections worldwide.

With this article, we’ll assist you in determining where you can view some of Bierstadt’s works. You’ll probably never be able to see all his original artwork, but at least the list of art museums we provide in this article will help you find places to view some of his work. For the convenience of those who want to learn more about Bierstadt and his works, we’ve also compiled a very brief introduction. 

A Short Introduction to Albert Bierstadt Art

In 1830, Albert Bierstadt was born in Germany’s Solingen. When Albert was merely one year old, he and his parents moved to the United States. As a young man, he traveled to different locations in the West of America, where only a few Westerners had been then. During those journeys, he made sketches of beautiful and interesting places. While Albert was not always the first artist to depict a West American site, he is regarded as the foremost painter of West American landscapes during the 19th century.

Albert Bierstadt is famous for his beautiful depictions of nature scenes in West America, including his landscapes with beautiful waterfalls as the subjects. His landscape subjects extend beyond waterfalls and include American national parks, scenic areas, glaciers, lakes, and wild animals.

Museums and Institutions housing small Collections of Albert Bierstadt Artworks

As indicated above, there are more than 500 known Albert Bierstadt paintings. Some art historians even believe that it is possible that there could actually be more than 4,000 Albert Bierstadt works. Unfortunately, it is difficult to compile a “register” of all his works as some of them are in private collections and, thus, not readily accessible to the public.

Fortunately, most of his famous works are housed in museums and public art galleries. So, you can get access to most of his works of art to study them or just to look at and appreciate them. For your convenience, we’ve listed some of the art museums and other institutions where you can see some of his paintings. There are at least 20 museums and collections across the country open to the public and housing three or more of Bierstadt’s paintings.

Institutions housing 3 or 4 Albert Bierstadt artworks are ideal for visiting if you want to see an original Bierstadt work. The institutions include the following: 

  • Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, CA
  • Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
  • California Historical Society, San Francisco, CA
  • Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO
  • Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK
  • Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE
  • Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
  • Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
  • Oakland Museum, Oakland, CA
  • Saint Louis Art Museum, St Louis, MO
  • Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT

Museums and Institutions housing larger Collections of Bierstadt’s Paintings

When you are an art student and want to study the original Bierstadt paintings, visiting museums and other institutions housing more than only 3 or 4 of his works is better. Therefore, the list we provide here is not complete, but it will help you locate places to visit.

Fogg Museum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. In this museum, you’ll find at least 5 Bierstadt paintings, including “Lake Tahoe” and “Indians on Horseback.” (Original titles.)

  • M. H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA, has at least 6 of his works, including “Niagara Falls” and “View of Donner Lake.”
  • In the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC, there are at least 7 Bierstadt works of art. “Scene in Tyrol” and “Gathering Storm” are two of the paintings.
  • Another museum with at least 7 Bierstadt paintings is the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, DC. Its artworks include “Gates of the Yosemite” and “Sunrise in the Sierras.”

Two of the Largest Collections of Bierstadt Artwork

The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA

The Haggin Museum, Stockton, CA, houses at least 13 of Bierstadt’s paintings. The artworks include “After a Norther, Bahamas,” “Canadian Rockies,” “Moose in a Forest Glen,” and “Sunset in the Yosemite Valley.”

Stockton’s Victory Park is where the Haggin Museum is located. The museum hours are from 12:00 to 5: p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and from Wednesdays to Fridays from 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. You will be admitted free of charge on the 1st Saturday of the month.

The Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA

The Museum of Fine Art, Boston, MA, houses at least 21 of Bierstadt’s famous paintings. The works you’ll find in this museum include “Grove of trees,” “Thunderstorm in the Rocky Mountains,” “Niagara from the American Side,” and “Snow Scene with Buffalo.”

The Boston Museum of Fine Art is the 20th-largest art museum in the world that is measured by public gallery area. It contains more than 8,000 paintings and more than 450,000 works of art. One of the largest collections in the Americas is housed there.

Conclusion

Because many art museums and galleries throughout the U.S. and the world house at least one of Albert Bierstadt’s artworks, it is possible for you as an art lover or art scholar to see an original Bierstadt if you visit one of the institutions near you. If there is not such an institute near you, you can plan your holidays in such a way that you visit one or more museums! If you want to study his original works or are just a great admirer of Bierstadt’s works, visiting a museum housing quite a few of them is worthwhile. Use our lists and enjoy your Bierstadt art journey!

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