the making of holy lands



thomas moran - "the grand canyon of the yellowstone", 84x144", 1872, oil, u.s. department of the interior

thomas moran was part of the 'hudson river school', a group of american landscape painters in the mid-19th. they took a decadently romantic approach to depicting the hudson river valley, the white mountains, and on and on as the american frontier moved further west. the school's depiction of expanding territory found an enthusiastic audience, the political background in these therefore most interesting. the paintings were usually extremely dramatic, including religious and literary motives:

"Most of these painters had read a book called "Essay on the Nature and Principles of Taste" by Archibald Alison. In it he talks about how the beauty and grandeur of unspoiled nature can inspire good moral qualities"

also note that most of these painitings depict lands of special relevance to native american culture.

the propagandistic fusion of morality and aesthetics is what is striking here; the particular painting above hangs in the u.s. department of the interior and was used to persuade government to establish a national reserve at yellowstone.