At the same time, he avoids including any humans in his paintings, which is also the case of the painting analyzed here. According to sources, this has a commercial purpose: offering the impression of the potential buyer, usually from the East Coast, that he is submerged in the nature all by himself . At the same time, the lack of humans in his paintings is probably an attempt to portray nature as pure and virgin, yet unspoiled by the intervention of humans.

The painting Passing Storm over the Sierra Nevadas fits quite well in the pattern that has been described in the previous paragraph. Painted in 1870, it comes at a time when the fascination with the West, especially in the urban centers of the East Coast, is still great. At the same time, it also comes in a moment when the railroad is not sufficiently developed to give anybody the possibility to travel and see some of these natural wonders on their own, which is why painters, such as a. Bierstadt, can use their artistic perspective to describe things.

For Bierstadt himself, these paintings actually came from small drawings and reproductions he had made...

These were developed upon his return to make detailed artistic descriptions of the Western scenery. As such, despite the symbolism and the commercial approach, many of these paintings are quite naturalistic, a true reflection of the untouched nature he has seen during his trips. One needs to consider that these trips are made in the aftermath of the Gold Rush, but that during this time, it is still only the adventurous that dare to go into this wild landscape, which explains why such a painting, with its serene calm and atmosphere, could develop.
Bibliography

1. On the Internet at http://www.samuseum.org/collections/collection.php?uid=2. Last retrieved on August 5, 2009

2. On the Internet at http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/glenda/bierstadt/bierstadt.html. Last retrieved on August 5, 2009

On the Internet at http://www.samuseum.org/collections/collection.php?uid=2. Last retrieved on August 5, 2009

On the Internet at http://www.xmission.com/~emailbox/glenda/bierstadt/bierstadt.html. Last retrieved on August 5, 2009