1871 -1920 · Canyon, geysers and birth of an icon

Grand Canyon, Golden Gate, Excelsior geyser and hot springs show how Moran transforms Yellowstone into a geological spectacle of color, steam and light.

Thomas Moran joined the expedition led by geologist Ferdinand V. Hayden in the Yellowstone region in 1871. His watercolors and drawings, combined with photographs by William Henry Jackson, helped make this territory understandable to the public and decision-makers in the East. Yellowstone became a national park in 1872, in a political process broader than the action of a single artist. Moran then painted large compositions and numerous revivals: the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone combines yellow walls, falls, steam and dizzying depth; Golden Gate tightens the road between rocky walls; Moran then painted large compositions and numerous covers: the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone combines yellow walls, falls, steam and dizzying depth; Golden Gate tightens the road between rocky walls; the geyser Excelsior makes projected water and mineral cloud one monumental event; hot springs reveal terraces, deposits and unusual colors. The artist combines field observations, studies and studio invention to intensify the unity of the site. These images contribute to the culture of conservation, but also to the story of a national "desert" which has long diminished the presence and eviction of indigenous peoples linked to Yellowstone. The selection "Yellowstone by Thomas Moran" notably compares Rainbow on the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and Golden Gate, Yellowstone National Park. His reading favors movement.

Moran gives Yellowstone a dramatic geology: the rock becomes color, the source becomes architecture, and the steam transforms time into light.