Yellowstone Park
1892
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Dr. William Henry Holmes
Accession Number
1930.12.25
Tags
Art Historical Context
Thomas Moran's *Yellowstone Park* (1892) is a captivating drawing that captures the majestic summer landscapes of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Rendered in pencil or similar media, it showcases the towering mountains and winding Yellowstone River, evoking raw beauty of America's first national park. As a master of the Hudson River School Moran infused his works with romantic grandeur, using precise lines and subtle shading to convey light and atmosphere—techniques honed from his fieldwork sketches. Moran's deep connection to Yellowstone stemmed from his participation in the 1871 Hayde...
About the Artist
Thomas Moran · 1837–1926
Thomas Moran (1837–1926) was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School whose dramatic paintings of the American West played a pivotal role in the creation of the national parks. Born in Bolton, Lancashire, England, he emigrated with his family to Philadelphia as a child. He was largely self-taught, though he apprenticed briefly with a wood engraver and studied the work of J.M.W...