The Merced River in Yosemite, 1868, Albert Bierstadt, American, 1830 - 1902, 29 1/4 x 24 1/16 in. (74.3 x 61.12 cm) (sight)30 x 25 in. (76.2 x 63.5 cm) (canvas)37 7/8 x 32 5/8 x 3 1/2 in. (96.2 x 82.87 x 8.89 cm) (outer frame), Oil on canvas, United States, 19th century, Located in the Yosemite Valley of central California, the Merced River was one of the many destinations on the westward journeys of painter Albert Bierstadt. Bierstadts second journey west took place in 1863 during which time he spent seven weeks in the Yosemite Valley. This landscape reflects Bierstadts membership in the Hudson River School, a group of painters known for their romanticized and highly detailed landscapes full of dramatic lighting. The Merced River in Yosemite exhibits these attributes in the brilliant and almost otherworldly light shining from the hill, offering just enough to illuminate the details of the trees and campsite in the foreground.