manifest destin

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/07.123

This painting of the Rocky Mountains Landers Peak, was painted by a German - American painter Albert Bierstadt in 1863.

Bierstadt was best known for his paintings of lavish, sweeping landscapes of the american west. he was also known for his style - luminism.

this painting is based on sketches made during his travels with the honey road survey party in 1859 - this would suggest there is some unreliability to the painting. the landscape in the setting isn't in actual fact as it appears in landers peak but rather an ideal landscape based on nature altered by bierstadt for dramatic effect.

the painting shows landers peak in the Wyoming range of the rocky mountains with an area dominated by a native american campsite in the foreground.

bierstadts painting hit a nerve with contemporary Americans by portraying the grandeur and pristine beauty of the nations western wilderness. It was a reference to the idea of Manifest Destiny, where the rocky mountains represented both natural beauty and an obstacle to westward expansion.