Above the Lower Fall, Yellowstone

Thomas Moran's sketch captures the dramatic geology of Yellowstone's Lower Falls with loose, gestural linework. Cascading water and towering canyon walls emerge through rapid pen strokes and hatching, while lighter washes suggest mist and atmospheric depth. This study demonstrates Moran's working method—quick notation of natural forms that would inform finished paintings. A British-born artist who chronicled the American West, Moran helped establish landscape as a subject of national significance, his sketches and paintings shaping how Americans visualized their frontier territories.