Sunset Cloud, Green River, Wyoming

Thomas Moran prints bring the canyons, geysers and mountains of the American West onto your walls in blazing colour. Moran's paintings of Yellowstone helped persuade Congress to make it the first national park, and his views of the Grand Canyon and the Mountain of the Holy Cross made the West famous. Our collection of fine art prints covers his Western landscapes, Venice scenes, illustrations and prints.

About Thomas Moran

Thomas Moran was born on 12 February 1837 in Bolton, Lancashire, into a family of handloom weavers. In 1844 the family emigrated to the United States and settled near Philadelphia. As a teenager he was apprenticed to a wood-engraving firm, where he soon moved from carving blocks to drawing illustrations, and studied painting with James Hamilton.

The paintings of J. M. W. Turner became his great inspiration, and in 1862 he travelled to England to see them. He became chief illustrator for Scribner's Monthly, mastered etching and lithography, and was a leader of the etching revival. He married the Scottish-born etcher Mary Nimmo Moran, and his brothers Edward, John and Peter were also artists.

In 1871 he joined Ferdinand Hayden's survey expedition to Yellowstone. His paintings, with William Henry Jackson's photographs, helped convince President Grant and Congress to preserve the region. He kept travelling west for forty years, returning to Yellowstone in 1892. Mount Moran in the Grand Tetons is named after him. He died in Santa Barbara, California, on 25 August 1926.

Style and Subjects

Moran painted the West on a grand scale, with towering cliffs, steaming geysers, waterfalls and vast skies. Following Turner, he used brilliant colour and light: glowing yellows, oranges and reds in canyon walls, misty blues in the distance and dramatic clouds.

He worked in oil and watercolour, and his field sketches are fresh and quick. He also painted Venice, East Hampton and other scenes, and made many prints and book illustrations.

Famous Works

• The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1872), Smithsonian American Art Museum (on loan to the US Capitol). His vast first view of Yellowstone, painted after the Hayden expedition.
• Tower Falls and Sulphur Mountain (1875), Library of Congress. A Yellowstone waterfall beneath steaming slopes.
• The Mountain of the Holy Cross, Colorado (1875). The Colorado peak marked by a snowy cross, one of his most famous subjects.
• Grand Canyon of the Colorado River (1892), Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Arizona canyon in glowing reds and golds.
• The Three Tetons (1895), White House. The Teton Range rising above the plains.
• Rainbow over the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1900), Smithsonian American Art Museum. A rainbow arching across the Yellowstone canyon.
• An Indian Paradise (Green River, Wyoming) (1911), Dallas Museum of Art. The cliffs of Green River in late golden light.

Decorating with Moran Prints

Moran's Western landscapes have the scale and colour to anchor a living room, den or office, and suit rustic, lodge and modern interiors alike. Warm wood, leather and stone bring out the reds and golds of the canyons. A pair such as Excelsior Geyser, Yellowstone Park and Rainbow over the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone makes a strong statement.

His watercolour sketches and Venice scenes are lighter and suit a bedroom, hallway or study, and anyone who loves the national parks will find favourites for a cabin or holiday home.

FAQ

How did Thomas Moran help create Yellowstone National Park?

In 1871 he joined Ferdinand Hayden's survey of Yellowstone. His paintings and sketches, with William Henry Jackson's photographs, helped persuade President Grant and Congress to preserve the region as the first national park.

What art movement was Thomas Moran part of?

Moran belonged to the Hudson River School and is also grouped with the Rocky Mountain School of Western landscape painters, with Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Hill and William Keith.

What is Thomas Moran's most famous painting?

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone (1872) is his best-known work.

Who influenced Thomas Moran?

The British painter J. M. W. Turner was his greatest influence. Moran travelled to England in 1862 to study Turner's paintings and watercolours.

Where can I see Thomas Moran's paintings?

Major works are in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the White House.

Related Artists

• Albert Bierstadt: fellow painter of the Rocky Mountain School
• Thomas Hill: fellow painter of the Rocky Mountain School
• William Keith: fellow painter of the Rocky Mountain School
• Edward Moran: his older brother, a marine painter who shared his studio
• Joseph Mallord William Turner: the British painter who inspired him