"Grand
Canyon of the Yellowstone" is one of Thomas Moran's most famous
works. The unveiling of the magnificent and prodigious, seven-by-
twelve foot canvas caused quite a stir in May 1872. Purchased by
the U.S. Government, it was the first landscape painting to hang in the
halls of Congress. Moran spent considerable effort trying to
portray the colors and geological features accurately, even to the
extent having geologist Ferdinand Hayden review his work before
completion. However, he was an artist and he manipulated the
painting to achieve his own ends. "While I desired to tell truly of
Nature," Moran wrote, "I did not wish to realize the scene
literally, but to preserve and to convey its true impression." In
that effort, to convey its beautify, grandeur and immensity, Moran was,
indeed, extraordinarily successful.
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