Critics don't always have the last word

Are you a creative? Struggling to find your niche? 

History is rife with stories such as Albert Bierstadt's (below), but I always love happening across them. When I was writing my Colorado Territory fiction, I had images of Bierstadt's paintings scrolling by on my second monitor. So inspiring. What a gifted painter he was, despite the disparaging opinions of critics of his day. So all you creatives, keep creating! And do it for the glory of the Giver of the gift, not for recognition of the gift itself. 

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902), was a member of the Hudson River School. Bierstadt's use of light, often referred to as “luminism,” is his trademark. Known primarily for his depictions of the American West, Bierstadt was the leading painter of the ever-expanding frontier during the 19th century. Today, the few Bierstadt works that become available at auction continue to bring in ever increasing prices. 

Born in Solingen, Germany, Bierstadt’s family moved to Massachusetts when he was just two years old. In 1853, his blossoming interest in art lead him to formal study at the Düsseldorf School in Germany. 

Upon his return to the United States, the artist’s subjects concentrated mainly on the New England area, until 1859, when he accompanied a land surveyor for the U.S. government to the western frontier. The sketches Bierstadt returned with became finished works that garnered him much financial success. Officially finding his niche, he would make numerous trips to the West throughout his career, creating paintings that detailed the bountiful beauty of the vast landscapes he encountered. 

In the critical art circles of his day, Bierstadt did not fare well. Despite his commercial success, opponents of his work often considered his use of large canvases, light and romantic subject matter to be out of style and inappropriate with the tastes of the time. With the rise of Impressionism and the Boston School, public tastes also moved away from his highly detailed landscapes. Bierstadt eventually declared bankruptcy in 1895. (Text of the story excerpted from: www.rauantiques.com)

See more of Albert Bierstadt's work

Are you a creative? What's your creative outlet?

Blessings your day,

Tamera

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About From a Distance: 

Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life.

Daniel Ranslett, a former Confederate sharpshooter, is a man shackled by his past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could bring secrets from his past to light.

Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met . . . from a distance.

Best wishes, and with all the books out there to read, thanks for choosing to read mine…