Albert Bierstadt’s The Domes of the Yosemite is among the most commanding images ever created of the American West. More than fifteen feet wide, the painting was conceived as a sweeping, theatrical panorama—a vision of Yosemite rendered in the glowing, near-spiritual light that came to define Bierstadt’s work in the years following the Civil War. Painted in 1867, The Domes of the Yosemite was originally commissioned by the private collector LeGrand Lockwood. Following Lockwood’s death and subsequent financial collapse, the painting was acquired by Horace Fairbanks, who later installed it as the centrepiece of the art gallery at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum.
By the time the painting arrived at ArtCare for treatment, its scale and age had introduced a series of structural and aesthetic challenges that had accumulated over generations. The canvas, a massive tabby-weave fabric originally pieced together with sewn extensions, bore the physical strain of more than 150 years. The reverse of the painting carried a rare and historically important lacing system — a network of grommets and cords used in the 19th century to tension large canvases. Though no longer functional, this system survives as tangible evidence of early display practices and was preserved as an archival document of the painting’s past.
The stretcher, crafted from dense, slow-growth timber no longer commercially available, had been altered in its early life with diagonal inserts and aggressively driven keys. These modifications, intended to improve tension, instead created distortions and stress that eventually caused tearing at the tacking edges. Additional campaigns of staples, nails, and pins — evidence of repeated stretching and re-stretching — further weakened the perimeter. The paint surface had suffered from uneven tension for decades, producing pronounced stretcher-bar marks and visible undulations across the sky and mountain passages.
Layers of history were visible on the face of the painting as well. Multiple varnish campaigns, including a discoloured PVA layer from the 1970s, had turned the surface a cloudy grey, masking Bierstadt’s atmosphere and drowning out the intricate glazes that give the painting its theatrical depth. Underneath the varnish, extensive areas of overpaint and hard, non-reversible fills obscured original brushwork. As the varnish was gradually reduced, more than forty areas of loss were identified — far more than could be seen before treatment.
Over the course of the conservation, the painting was unrolled, cleaned, stabilised, and prepared for the delicate process of structural repair. The torn and weakened tacking edges were reinforced, and a temporary new strip-lining was created to provide a strong, reliable point of attachment. The painting was then mounted onto a bespoke aluminium expandable loom, allowing the surface to be gently returned to plane. Local humidification and magnetic restraint techniques were used to relax problem areas, reducing heavy distortions and restoring the even, monumental sweep of the composition.
With the structural issues resolved, the team turned to the surface. The discoloured varnish was carefully lifted away, revealing the painting’s original luminosity — Bierstadt’s cool whites, atmospheric greens, and radiant sky once again visible in their intended clarity. Once the varnish removal had been completed the painting was then lined onto a linen canvas using BEVA 371b ensuring its long term stability. Old overpaint was reduced, inappropriate fills were removed, and losses were rebuilt and retouched using stable, reversible modern materials. A final coating of MSA varnish restored the richness of Bierstadt’s glazing while ensuring long-term protection.
Once stable, the painting was transported for temporary display at the Morse Museum in Winter Park, Orlando, FL. and then returned to the Athenaeum. The original stretcher, strengthened and adapted to prevent future contact with the canvas, now supports the lined painting safely. New archival backboards were added for environmental protection, and the historic lacing was preserved as a remarkable document of the painting’s early life.
Today, The Domes of Yosemite hangs with renewed clarity and structural strength. The distortions and discoloration that once obscured its power have been resolved, allowing viewers to experience the painting as much as audiences did in the 19th century — as a grand, immersive window onto the American wilderness. Its current stability, enhanced surface, and improved framing system ensure that this landmark work will continue to inspire future generations.
The ArtCare Conservsation team is proud to have played a role in safeguarding this national treasure, blending structural ingenuity, scientific analysis, and traditional craftsmanship to honour Bierstadt’s monumental vision.
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