Tourist Guide

Beauty in Destruction

Visiting the Brooklyn Museum proved to be a valuable experience in that I was exposed to types of art that I have never previously seen before. An example of such art is a painting by Valerie Hegarty entitled “Fallen Bierstadt.” This painting is based off another work by Albert Bierstadt, which depicts the Bridal Veil Falls. What’s interesting about this work of art is that it acts as a critique of landscape painting, which was prevalent in the United States during the 19^th century. Landscape painting sought to idealize the American continent and played a heavy role in creating an identity for the American populace. Hegarty took this notion and applied it to art in that she shows nature as an accurate portrayal of the current situation of the country at the time. My first interpretation of this work was to show that art in itself, as magnificent as it may be, is still made out of a material, and is thus at the mercy of the forces around it. Yet the impression that it leaves on those who see it is timeless, because the mind can’t burn as easily as a canvas. The title of the work is worth noting as well, as it connects Hegarty’s work to that of the original painter and shows how his accomplishment in portraying the beauty of the American wilderness can be easily destroyed and reevaluated.