The Last of the Buffalo by Albert Bierstadt

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) was a German-American artist. He was born in Solingen, Germany and moved with his family to New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1833. He studied painting at the Dusseldorf School in Germany and with the artist’s collective, Hudson River School. He is well known for his western panoramas. His works is similar to Thomas Coles’ approach with illuminated landscapes and aerial perspective. Bierstadt’s works were a result of several journeys into the West during the late 1800s. The Last of the Buffalo displays the American Buffalo heroically versus the Native American on the western plains. At the time, the buffalo were at declining numbers due to western expansion. The scene mostly took place decades before. Locally, the panorama fits nicely and appeals to the pioneers and western historians.