
Visual texts such as paintings are referred to as texts for a reason. They tell a story within their own unique constraints. In 1865 a renowned artist, Albert Bierstadt, painted a breath taking canvas of the Yosemite Valley called “Looking Down Yosemite Valley”. He captured the sight late in the evening during sunset. The painting has many elements and styles that create a very original feeling and mood for the viewer. Colors, contrast, and proportion make up the elements used to express the sight Bierstadt witnessed. Bierstadt used the perfect light and dark contrast to accentuate the vast and enormous valley.

The unique angle of light in the painting is what makes it so appealing. Bierstadt captures the intense sunlight entering to the right of the valley. The sunlight is so bright that it induces a foggy appearance that puts into proportion the extreme length of the valley. The foggy light makes the viewer aware of how long the valley is. The sun does not appear in the painting, but Bierstadt makes it clear where the light is coming from. This creates a feeling of mystery because the sunset is gorgeous yet you can’t necessarily see the sun. If Bierstadt had painted the valley with the sun head on, he would not achieve the same well-lit valley. Due to the low angle of the light, the viewer might feel relaxed as it can relate to a calm afternoon or evening. Overall, the light in this painting expresses the large rock faces and surrounding life in a very interesting way.

The main focal point of the painting is the valley itself. The surrounding parts of the valley, especially those to the right and closest to the viewer, are darker to depict how light is flowing into the Valley. The light reflecting off of the left side of the Valley illustrates the vastness and makes the viewer feel small and incomparable to its size. Bierstadt’s proportional size of trees helps create a sense of size. The Trees to the far left and right are tall and big, but the trees on the coast of the lake are very small. By design, this visualizes how long and tall the valley is as everything in the painting gets smaller and smaller.  The vegetation and lake at the bottom of the valley add a very natural and alive sense to the painting. The large rocks and cliffs that make up the valley cast huge shadows that show how their size blocks sun light from reaching certain parts of the land. Since these areas don’t have a lot of light reaching them, the center of the valley pops out at the viewer much more. The combination of proportion, light contrast, and living elements appear to present the center of the valley in a grand fashion.

The mood reflected off the Yosemite Valley is very natural and happy. The sky resembles a heaven like place with its blue and orange clouds from the setting sun. This has the ability to make the viewer feel relaxed. The vegetation and calm water add to the peacefulness of the moment. The natural and wholesome environment attract the viewer simply through beauty. A large amount of the modern world is hidden from nature and Bierstadt’s painting serves as a reminder of what can be discovered with exploration.

Bierstadt had many reasons for creating this piece. Looking at history in the 1860s, much of what is now called the Western United States was unexplored land full of unknowns. Not many people knew what they could expect out of this land. Bierstadt’s painting is a piece to influence those who don’t know. His ability to capture this beautiful scene conveys the land of Yosemite and the Western U.S. in a very positive and intriguing way. Many people could be blown away at the spectacular view depicted.