By 1882
his fortunes began their decline and he soon lost favor with the
public. In recent years there has been a new appreciation of Albert
Bierstadt, especially for the smaller oil studies that witness
the accuracy of his perception. Bierstadt became internationally
reknowned for his beautiful and enormous paintings of the newly
accessible American west, and his works found their way into public
and private collections at staggeringly high prices for his time.
His popularity and wealth rose to tremendous heights only to fade
as the interest in the Boston School and impressionism turned
public taste away from his highly detailed landscapes suffused
with golden light. By 1895 he declared himself bankrupt.
