Best Material for the Artist in the World

A poetic biography that tracks the life of landscape artist Albert Bierstadt, whose 19th-century representations of the American west earned him wealth and international acclaim. Relaying the story primarily through Bierstadt’s voice, this imaginative collection also includes perspectives from the painter’s family, friends, critics and patrons.
This poetic biography tracks the life and career of landscape artist Albert Bierstadt, whose 19th-century representations of the American west earned him wealth and international acclaim. Relaying the story primarily through Bierstadt’s voice, this imaginative collection also includes perspectives from the painter’s family, friends, critics and patrons as it chronicles his youth in New Bedford, Massachusetts, his apprenticeship in Europe, his meteoric fame following western expeditions, and the emotional turbulence of diminished reputation due to changing cultural tastes. These narrative, lyric, and ekphrastic poems touch the momentum of the developing west, the devastation of native tribes and the great buffalo herds, as well as the resiliency of Bierstadt’s art in times of environmental awareness and expansionist reappraisal. Neither defense nor homage, The Best Material for the Artist in the World offers a balanced appreciation of an influential artist-explorer who gave us iconic, sometimes mythic views of our defining wilderness landscapes.

UK Delivery:

• Free delivery on all orders of £10 or more.
• £1.49 delivery fee on orders below £10.
• UK orders are shipped via Royal Mail 2nd Class.

International Delivery:

• Flat rate delivery charges vary by country.

Dispatch and Delivery Times:

• All orders are shipped from our warehouse in Northampton, UK within 48 hours of receipt during working hours.
• UK mainland orders typically arrive within 3-5 working days via Royal Mail 2nd Class.
• International estimated delivery times:
• Europe & Channel Islands: 7 to 10 working days
• USA: 7 to 15 working days
• Rest of the World: 9 to 21 working days

View our full delivery infomation here.