Lot Essay
In early summer of 1865 Albert Bierstadt bought property in Irvington-on-Hudson and soon erected a fine stone house that included a studio. A newspaper reporter noted, "The spot selected commands some of the finest and most extensive views on the North river." These picturesque vistas of the Hudson inspired Bierstadt's Sailboats on the Hudson at Irvington, which was most likely executed from his home at Irvington-on-Hudson in the late 1860s.
Sailboats on the Hudson at Irvington depicts the rural qualities of the countryside surrounding the Hudson in Westchester County. An open meadow of grasses and wildflowers bounded by a split rail fence stretches to the river. Sailboats quietly ply the waters in the far distance. The overhead sky is bright and clear and reflects Bierstadt's continued interest in the effects of light and atmosphere as seen across the American landscape.
Sailboats on the Hudson at Irvington depicts the rural qualities of the countryside surrounding the Hudson in Westchester County. An open meadow of grasses and wildflowers bounded by a split rail fence stretches to the river. Sailboats quietly ply the waters in the far distance. The overhead sky is bright and clear and reflects Bierstadt's continued interest in the effects of light and atmosphere as seen across the American landscape.