Albert Bierstadt was a German-American painter, known for his grandiose landscapes of the American West. His works often featured dramatic lighting and panoramic vistas, showcasing the vastness and beauty of the frontier. Bierstadt's approach to art was influenced by the Romanticism movement and his travels throughout Europe and the American West. He started painting as a hobby, but eventually pursued it as a career after studying art in Düsseldorf, Germany. Interesting fact: Bierstadt was a member of the Hudson River School, a group of landscape painters who focused on capturing the beauty of the natural world.