The town of Terrasson is located on the banks of the Vézère in southwestern France, about 150 km east of Bordeaux in the heart of Aquitaine, with which Hesse maintains a regional partnership.
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Since 1991, Bierstadt has had a partnership with the French commune of Terrasson-Lavilledieu.
His wife was diagnosed with consumption in 1876, and from then until her death in 1893, Bierstadt spent time with her in the warmer climate of Nassau in the Bahamas.
Based on sketches made during a visit in 1863, Bierstadt paints the valley from a vantage point just above the Merced River, looking due west with the prospect framed by El Capitan on the right, and Sentinel Rock on the left; the spire of Middle Cathedral Rock is visible in the distance.
In 1863, the artist Albert Bierstadt asked him to serve as a guide, and he led Bierstadt on an expedition from Idaho Springs, Colorado to the summit of the mountain Bierstadt named Mount Rosalie, later known as Mount Evans.