Nevada Falls, Yosemite

Albert Bierstadt

1872 or 1873 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

At Nevada Falls in California’s Yosemite Valley, the Merced River plunges over a high ledge onto a jumble of boulders almost six hundred feet below, creating a torrent of white water and plumes of spray. Tourists were able to visit Nevada Falls by climbing a rocky trail that rose 1,840 feet in elevation from Vernal Falls, a mile and a half downstream. Bierstadt signals this possibility by portraying several sightseers, among them two women in hiking gear.

Artist

Albert Bierstadt

Date

1872 or 1873

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of Mrs. J. Augustus Barnard, 1979