Lake in Moonlight

Albert Bierstadt gifted the present work to financier Ogden Mills and his wife Ruth Livingston Mills, both members of distinguished American families, upon the occasion of their April 1882 nuptials. Inscribed within the sail of the barge is a dedication to the couple and, on the painting’s reverse, Bierstadt offered his best wishes for the pair, who were married until Mrs. Mills’ death in 1920. While they owned five homes, the couple spent the autumn months in an elegant country mansion overlooking the Hudson River in Staatsburg, New York. Now known as the Staatsburgh State Historic Site, this home is restored to its Gilded Age appearance and open to the public.