
In 1832, Karl Bodmer accompanied naturalist Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian of Neuwied, Prussia (now in Germany) on an excursion into the American West.
Although Maximilian and Bodmer were not the first to explore the terrain, their team was the first that combined a dedicated scientist with a skilled illustrator. The result of their efforts, Travels in the Interior of North America 1832 to 1834, was published serially in between 1839-41, and included eight-one engraved etchings by Bodmer.
Junction of the Yellowstone River with the Missouri depicts the scene that the travelers saw as they approached Fort Union on June 24, 1833, after a seventy-five mile steamboat journey on the Missouri. Fort Union was an outpost for business during fur trading season, and was the northern-most point on the river that was accessible by steamer.
Karl Bodmer
17 1/4 × 23 1/2 in. (43.8 × 59.7 cm) Framed: 27 1/4 × 33 1/2 × 1 1/8 in.
Art Bridges, Gift of Carolyn and Laurence Belfer
1839
Hand-colored chromolithograph
AB.2016.11
l.c.: [artist/estate blind stamp]
(Arader Galleries, New York, NY); purchased by Laurence D. Belfer and Carolyn Belfer; given to Art Bridges, TX, 2016