The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak Poster

The Rocky Mountains, Lander’s Peak is a monumental oil on canvas painting completed in 1863 by German-American artist Albert Bierstadt. It is based on sketches Bierstadt made during his 1859 expedition with Frederick W. Lander’s government survey party to the Wind River Range of the Rocky Mountains in present-day Wyoming. The painting prominently features Lander’s Peak, a mountain Bierstadt named in honour of Colonel Frederick W. Lander, who died during the Civil War. The composition idealises the landscape for dramatic effect, showing sharply pointed granite peaks and illuminated clouds above a tranquil scene of a Shoshone Native American encampment in the foreground, complete with teepees, horses, dogs, and tribal members engaged in daily activities. A waterfall flows into a nearby lake, and the mountain peaks are capped with snow. The painting reflects the ideology of Manifest Destiny by portraying the West as a sublime, pristine wilderness destined for settlement, while also acknowledging Indigenous presence. Upon its exhibition in 1863, the painting was critically acclaimed and became one of Bierstadt’s most celebrated works, helping to shape the visual identity of the American West. It was purchased in 1865 for the then-astonishing sum of $25,000 by James McHenry of London. The work is now part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in New York City. Key Details: • Artist: Albert Bierstadt • Year: 1863 • Medium: Oil on canvas • Dimensions: 186.7 cm × 306.7 cm (73.5 in × 120.75 in) • Location: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City • Subject: Lander’s Peak (Wyoming Range), Shoshone Native American encampment, Rocky Mountains • Style: Romantic realism, luminism, Hudson River School influence • Significance: Iconic representation of the American West, Manifest Destiny, Indigenous presence