The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Thomas Moran, 1872

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Thomas Moran, 1872

The photo above is called the grand canyon of the Yellowstone; it was painted by Thomas Moran in 1872. Thomas Moran earned his nickname “Father of the National Park System" because of the influence created by his paintings had on the emergence of Western tourism and on the members of Congress to establish the Yellowstone region as the first national park in 1872.  This painting which is his interpretation of the view of the Lower Falls through the deep chasm of yellowish-red sulphur-stained rock is which earned Yellowstone its name. From over 30 sites Moran visually documented in the Yellowstone Valley, this area of the park captured him most. He would spend a lot of time at the canyon, sketching from every angle possible to find the perfect moment to replicate, studying the geology of the area and the way the light played on the rocks to capture true detail of the gorge.  

The image shows the gorge being fed with light while the surrounding is a lot darker, this shows that after the gorge the landscape opens to miles of land, and it enforces the understanding that the west contains its beauty’s but it also has its mystery and danger, showing the darkness to hold the unknown. Without going unnoticed the image holds 2 people standing on a cliff looking out over the gorge, this is used to reinforce the enormity of the canyon, telling the audience that we are merely ants compared to the vast depths of nature.