According to Western art historian Dr. Larry Len Peterson, “Albert Bierstadt’s contemporary and competitor, Thomas Hill, became rich and famous for his grand paintings of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada Mountains in an era known as the heyday of landscape painters.

“In 1861 Hill moved with his wife and children to San Francisco and made his first trip to Yosemite a year later with artist friends William Keith and Virgil Williams. Next, Hill accompanied famed photographer Carleton Watkins to Yosemite, and their works significantly influenced the decision by Congress in 1864 to protect the area from development. It was the first example in America of park land being set aside for preservation and public use.

“In the 1870s he became a founding member of the San Francisco Art Association and the exclusive Bohemian Club which gave him access to wealthy patrons. By the end of the decade, Hill was wealthy and famous across America. In 1883 he built a studio in Yosemite and lived there except for winters when he painted in his San Francisco studio. He completed over 5,000 paintings including his famous Yosemite Valley (1889) and Great Canyon of the Sierra, Yosemite (1872). He was widely known as the ‘Artist of Yosemite.’ Captivated by its beauty, he spent every summer there until 1888.”

PROVENANCE
Private collection, Granby, Connecticut

Additional Resources

• Thomas Hill’s Past Results
• View Condition Report

Condition ReportSurface is in good condition. Canvas is lined. Faint horizontal bar mark across the center of painting. Faint cracking in sky and in distant mountains. Spots of inpainting in upper-left corner and top-center of the sky. One spot of inpainting each in upper-right mountain and in center of painting.

Important Notice: Statements of condition are provided as a service to potential bidders; such statements are educated opinions and should not be regarded as facts. The Coeur d’Alene Art Auction has no responsibility for any errors or omissions.