The Last of the Buffalo - Albert Bierstadt

"The Last of the Buffalo" (1888) by Albert Bierstadt is a work that is part of the "Hudson River School", an American artistic movement characterized by its grand landscapes and idealization of nature. This movement, influenced by European Romanticism, sought to capture the vastness and splendor of the American territory at a historical moment marked by westward expansion and the rise of the railroad.

Bierstadt's painting reflects that sublime vision of the landscape, with meticulous attention to detail and an extraordinary handling of light to create depth and drama. In this work, the buffalo dominate the foreground, representing the majesty of native wildlife amidst a vast and serene landscape that emphasizes the contrast between the wild nature and advancing civilization.
Technically, the composition balances the tension of the scene with the calm of the horizon, highlighting the use of warm and cool colors to generate contrast and depth. This type of representation later influenced American realism, while it was also influenced by European Romanticism, which gave it its emphasis on the sublime and monumental. The work is a visual testimony to the profound social and economic changes taking place in the United States at that time.

We wanted to add a second image that is part of the study Albert conducted before starting to paint "The Last of the Buffalo."