Thomas Moran

Thomas Moran (1837-1926)

“Moran more than any other artist has made us acquainted with the Great West…” — Stephen Tyng Mather, Director of the Park Service, 1920s An immigrant from England, Thomas Moran is best known for the influence his captivating landscapes had on the emergence of tourism in the West and the formation of national parks. While working for Scribner’s Monthly, Moran received the assignment that would concrete his prominence in the art world as illustrator of “The Wonders of Yellowstone.” His breathtaking renderings of the frontier were later presented to Congress and were influential in the preservation of Yellowstone. Moran later depicted the Grand Canyon, Mountain of the Holy Cross, and his home in later life, Santa Barbara, California. A prolific artist known for working 13 hour days, Moran was most captivated by the West and returned most frequently to the Grand Canyon.