The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1872)

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is an oil on canvas painting created by English-American artist Thomas Moran in 1872. It is credited with increasing the American public's interest in conservation efforts. The painting is on display at the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum.

This article is about the 1872 painting by Thomas Moran. For Moran's later painting with the same title, see The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1901).

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
ArtistThomas Moran
Year1872
MediumOil on canvas mounted on aluminum
Dimensions213 cm × 266.3 cm (84 in × 104.8 in)
LocationNational Statuary Hall, United States Capitol, Washington, D.C.

History and description

Moran participated in an 1871 survey, led by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, which explored the area that would become Yellowstone National Park. Moran spent several days sketching the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone from different vantage points.[1][2] Hayden's extensive report on the expedition, which included sketches and paintings by Moran, as well as photographs by William Henry Jackson, was instrumental in persuading Congress to preserve the area as a national park.[3] On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the world's first national park, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law.[3][4][5][6]

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone provides an idealized view of the topography of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone in the late 19th century. The viewer's attention is attracted to the Yellowstone River running through the V of the canyon, in spite of the river being dwarfed by the rocky, arid landscape dominated by ocher and brown. Green firs and pines punctuate the desolate panorama. Though the painting suggests a primordial environment untouched by civilization, four figures--including a Native American--witnesses to the majesty of nature, can be seen in the foreground.[7]

The large painting was purchased by Congress in 1872 for $10,000 and displayed at the United States Capitol. In 1950, President Harry Truman signed Public Law 81-603 transferring the painting to the permanent custody of the U.S. Department of the Interior.[8] It is part of the collection of the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum, where it is on exhibit to the public.[5][9][10][11][12][13]

Moran found critical and commercial success with his sketches and paintings of Yellowstone. He would subsequently travel the American West and create many more works of art, including a second painting titled The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1893–1901), which displays a more mature treatment of the same landscape.

Reception

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was met with critical acclaim. The poet and editor Richard Watson Gilder called it the "most remarkable work of art which has been exhibited in this country for a long time."[14] The painting also captured the public's imagination, and influenced the decision to preserve Yellowstone National Park for future generations.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Thomas Moran". Americanart. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  2. Moran, Thomas (1996). Thomas Moran, the field sketches, 1856–1923 (4th ed.). Norman: University of Oklahoma Press for the Thomas Gilcrease Institute of American History and Art, Tulsa. p. 79. ISBN 978-0806127040. Archived from the original on March 3, 2023. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  3. Reinhardt, Audrey (December 1, 2009). "A Thomas Moran Masterpiece Returns to American Art". Smithsonian Magazine. Archived from the original on October 19, 2021. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  4. "Thomas Moran: Artistic Master of the Conservation Movement". U.S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. May 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  5. "Thomas "Yellowstone" Moran: Influencing Change with Art". National Parks Conservation Association. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  6. Nelson, Megan Kate (March 1, 2022). "The Big Business Politics Behind the Formation of Yellowstone National Park". Time. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
  7. "Thomas Moran, The Art Story". Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  8. "Transfer of Thomas Moran Paintings | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  9. "Thomas Moran, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Smart History". Archived from the original on September 2, 2022. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
  10. "Thomas Moran and the Big Pictures". U.S. Department of the Interior. September 24, 2020. Archived from the original on July 5, 2022. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
  11. Paintings That Opened the West, retrieved August 12, 2023
  12. "National Treasures Return to the Interior Museum for New Exhibition". doi.gov. September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  13. "Interior Department Museum Reopens to the Public". doi.gov. April 28, 2022. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  14. "Thomas Moran, The Art Story". Archived from the original on August 30, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
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