Artwork
Green River, Wyoming Territory
Green River, Wyoming Territory is an ink print by the Impressionist artist Thomas Moran. It dates from 1886 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1886, *Green River, Wyoming Territory* is an etching executed in brown on laid paper. The work presents a tranquil river winding through a rugged landscape, framed by steep cliffs on the left and a solitary tree on the right. Small figures gather on the shore, while a towering rock formation rises in the background, all rendered in muted, earth‑toned lines.
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a moment of quiet wilderness in the American West, emphasizing the interplay between water, rock, and sparse vegetation. The presence of a few people suggests a fleeting human encounter with the vast, untouched terrain, underscoring the 19th‑century fascination with frontier exploration and the sublime qualities of the landscape.
Technique & Style
Moran employed fine, closely spaced lines to model the surface of the water, the texture of reeds, and the rugged cliffs. The brown tonal range, achieved through multiple acid bites and careful inking, creates subtle gradations of light and shadow typical of 19th‑century landscape etchings. The laid paper surface adds a tactile quality that enhances the work’s atmospheric depth.
History & Provenance
Earlier in his career he served as chief illustrator for *Scribner’s Monthly*, a position that informed his detailed approach to natural subjects.
Thomas Moran, known for his Rocky Mountain scenes, produced the print while based in New York, where he worked alongside his wife, printmaker Mary Nimmo Moran, and their daughter Ruth. Earlier in his career he served as chief illustrator for *Scribner’s Monthly*, a position that informed his detailed approach to natural subjects. The etching entered the market shortly after its creation and has since been held in several American institutional collections.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Thomas Moran (February 12, 1837 – August 25, 1926) was an American painter and printmaker of the Hudson River School in New York whose work often featured the Rocky Mountains.
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