Ken Burn's beautiful PBS series on the National Park System featured several artist who were instrumental in creating the National Parks. One of them was Thomas Moran. His painting Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is breathtaking and should be seen by everyone when they are in DC. You can view it here.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Moran_-_Grand_Canyon_of_the_Yellowstone.jpg
Moran's drawings and paintings touched people and helped them rally behind saving this "wonderland".
Moran's paintings deomonstrate that artist can create the essence of wonder on a two dimensional platform. Moran was never concerned with topographical accuracy, he was more concerned with capturing the essence, the beauty, the mystery of his landscapes. He concentrated on compacting color and elements to create a strong center to impact the viewer , and create an emotional response.
When one views this painting, one can understand how he singlehandedly created a desire in the country to save and to visit Yellowstone.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment