I recently purchased a large framed print by the artist Albert Bierstadt at an estate sale in Minneapolis, MN. (32x36” framed) The reproduction print is a copy of an original painting titled, ‘In the Mountains’ (1867) that is located at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT. Considered a “monumental landscape that celebrates American wilderness as sublime and infinite - it is an immersive experience designed to evoke awe and reverence for the untamed beauty of the American West.”
Original price - $20.00
- I have to take a moment to acknowledge the art framer for this particular piece too because they used a record five pieces of foam core and four pieces of matte board to frame the print! Impressive!! The frame is undoubtedly just as significant (if not more) as the artwork itself.
I painted a large rubber duck wearing a green wetsuit, goggles, and flying red and blue burgees on the print, and this piece was purchased by a couple in Mpls who had read about my rubber duck project in the Star Tribune!
Thank you for your support! And thank you, AL, for your contribution to the piece!
Epilogue - I fastened a dime to the back of the frame as another quirky signature. Why a dime? The significance of the coin relates to Franklin D. Roosevelt who on March 16, 1934, signed the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, popularly known as the Duck Stamp Act, into law. This legislation raised crucial revenue from hunters and stamp enthusiasts to acquire and protect millions of acres of vital waterfowl and wetland habitats across the U.S.
The original print I purchased at an estate sale. A reproduction of ‘In the Mountains” by Albert Bierstadt.
Detail of the rubber duck painting.
I temporarily installed the artwork in the collector’s home - I was genuinely surprised as to how well it matched the decorum.
I painted a large rubber duck wearing a green wetsuit, goggles, and flying two burgees on the print.
Detail of the artist’s signatures on the bottom right corner; Albert Bierstadt 1867, Seamus Liam O’Brien 26
Artist Seamus Liam O’Brien holding the finished framed painting outside the home of the collector.