Albert Bierstadt, Sunrise, Yosemite Valley, n.dBierstadt was one of those painters who helped Americans who'd never been west of the Mississippi to conceive of the natural wonders that abounded there. There's something almost achingly gorgeous about this image that speaks to how the glories of nature inspire contemplation and consideration of our place (that is, humans' place) in the universe. One can imagine how common such revelations must've been for the early pioneers, even as they conspired (and not necessarily in a bad way) to figure out how they could carve out a role for themselves in relation to this stunning environment; and it raises the question of how long it took them to take it all for granted so that it became necessary to preserve such pristine exquisiteness by order of law. But set aside those kinds of issues-- one can certainly see this as a great example of that core value of art to render the exquisite beauty of real life to those who cannot experience it (at least in certain specifics) first-hand.
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