Thomas Moran
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, 1872
Thomas Moran (1837-1926) was an American painter and printmaker, famous for his depictions of the American West. He was born in Bolton, England and immigrated to the United States with his family as a child.
Moran’s art career began as an apprentice to a wood engraver in Philadelphia. He eventually became interested in painting and studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. In 1860, he traveled to Europe where he studied under prominent artists and honed his skills in landscape painting.
In 1871, Moran was asked to join a government-funded expedition to Yellowstone. The paintings he created on this trip were instrumental in convincing Congress to establish Yellowstone as the first national park in the United States.
Throughout his career, Moran continued to paint landscapes inspired by his travels throughout the American West, including the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was one of the most important landscape painters of the late 19th century and his work helped to create a visual identity for the American West.