The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Moran painted The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone between 1893 and 1901, based on his experiences as a member of the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871, the first government-sponsored expedition to explore the Yellowstone region. He was 34 when he joined the expedition, and the watercolors and drawings he made on the trip would provide the material for decades of paintings. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one of his most ambitious works, a large-scale view of the canyon that captures the sublime scale and the vivid colors of the American West. The painting shows the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River, with the canyon walls rising on either side and the river visible at the bottom. The canyon is painted in the vivid yellows, oranges, and reds of the volcanic rock that gives the canyon its name, with the colors deepening in the shadows and brightening in the sunlight. The sky is filled with clouds, and the light falls from the upper left, illuminating the canyon walls and casting the river in shadow. A few small figures are visible at the edge of the canyon, providing a sense of scale. Moran was born in Bolton, England, and emigrated to the United States as a child. He trained as an engraver in Philadelphia before turning to painting, and he was largely self-taught as a landscape painter. His work on the Hayden expedition brought him national attention, and his paintings of Yellowstone were instrumental in the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. He was known as 'Thomas Yellowstone Moran' for the rest of his career. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone was painted over several years, with Moran reworking the canvas multiple times. The painting was exhibited at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where it was seen by millions of visitors. It was later donated to the Smithsonian by George D. Pratt. Oil on canvas, 213 by 366 centimeters. Moran painted with a combination of precise drawing and loose brushwork, building the canyon walls in layers of yellow, orange, and red. The river is painted in translucent strokes of blue and green, with the reflections of the canyon walls visible on the surface. The sky is painted in soft, atmospheric layers of blue and white, with the clouds built in thick, opaque strokes. The figures at the edge of the canyon are painted in tiny, precise strokes of dark color, providing a sense of scale. The surface has the rich, worked quality of a painting built over many years. The horizontal format and warm palette make this print work well in a living room, dining room, or office. The yellows, oranges, and reds pair with natural wood, white walls, and rooms with a warm or dramatic mood. The 18x24 size is the best choice, as the composition needs width to read. The painting has a sublime, expansive quality that suits rooms with a grand or western mood. This is a public domain artwork from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. We print it on archival matte paper at sizes from 8x10 to 18x24 inches, framed or unframed.