1088

$2,962.50

AFTER ALBERT BIERSTADT (American, 1830-1902) THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, LANDER’S PEAK (ENGRAVED BY JAMES SMILLIE).

Steel engraving on paper mounted to cardboard Housed in a modern wood frame behind glass This monumental engraving shows a Plains Indian encampment at the foot of the Rocky Mountains where Bierstadt traveled in 1859 on an expedition led by Colonel Frederick W. Lander. Bierstadt created the painting (now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York) that this engraving was based on four years after the expedition, following the Colonel’s death, and named the Peak in honor of his friend. The painting was widely admired, as it aptly captured the mystique and beauty of the American West. It was sold by Bierstadt for the hefty sum of $25,000 om 1865, prompting the artist to commission an engraving after the composition. It took James Smillie, the esteemed engraver and artist, three years to craft and publish the grandiloquent print. Bierstadt closely monitored the design of the print, checking in on its progress sometimes daily and requesting frequent proofs from the engraver SIZE: 23-1/2″ x 33-1/2″ (to outside of margins) Overall: 24-3/4″ x 34-3/4″ CONDITION: Examined out of frame, laid down, age toning, otherwise very good 9-25204 (1,000-2,000) – Lot 1088

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Auction: Fine Art, Antiques & Asian - February 2015

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Please Note: All prices include the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium, which is paid by the buyer as part of the purchase price. The prices noted here after the auction are considered unofficial and do not become official until after the 46th day.

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