A Painting Unveiled
Three grazing cows amble across the foreground of a verdant green landscape; a cluster of their bovine companions gather under the shade of a massive oak nearby. The sky is a serene blue-grey, and the whole scene is washed in a dusty golden hue. Albert Bierstadt’s painting, “Weeping Oaks, Clear Creek, California” (ca. 1881) is one of the University Art Collection’s oldest and most valued acquisitions. It’s easy to see the artist’s mastery of form and light in this lovely landscape. Unfortunately, the piece was not shown to best advantage in its original frame, which had been poorly “restored” and...