Niagara Falls

Albert Bierstadt (1830–1902)

1869

Oil on board

Sewell C. Biggs bequest; 2004.445

The industrial revolution brought the nation increased wealth and availability of goods, while at the same time, Americans became nostalgic for the perceived purity and majesty of the pre-industrial American landscape. Artists such as Albert Bierstadt and other leaders of the Hudson River School painted works that appealed to this interest in American scenery.