Thread by @InteriorMuseum

Welcome! I'm Tracy Baetz, Chief Curator here @Interior & today we’re excited for the virtual launch of “Thomas Moran & the ‘Big Picture.’” The masterpieces -"The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” & “The Chasm of the Colorado”- have returned for the 1st time in 2 decades

In capturing the natural beauty of @YellowstoneNPS & @GrandCanyonNPS, these monumental canvases shaped many people’s impressions of the American West in the 1870’s & forever framed the discourse surrounding public lands. #BigPictureMorans

When Thomas Moran debuted “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” in 1872, he captured in full color the natural beauty of a region relatively few people had ever seen. Here’s some of the backstory... #BigPictureMorans

For several weeks in the summer of 1871, Moran traveled as the guest artist on the federally-sponsored Hayden geological survey of the Yellowstone region. It was his first time on a horse, carrying a rifle, or camping out.🏕️ #BigPictureMorans

📸Thomas Moran inspecting terraces

He had to travel light and work quickly, making annotated watercolors in a sketchbook to help commit these extraordinary sights to memory. Many scenes he wouldn’t complete until he returned home to his studio, where he could use an easel and his oil paints. #BigPictureMorans

Think of Moran’s Yellowstone images as the Instagram of the 1870’s. They depicted a wonderland that almost defied belief & helped make the case for preserving it. His illustrations appeared in magazines & in the Hayden expedition’s official report to Congress #BigPictureMorans

President Ulysses S. Grant signed legislation making @YellowstoneNPS the country’s first national park on March 1, 1872. Two months later, Moran was ready to unveil his incredible 7' x 12' painting of Yellowstone’s iconic canyon and Lower Falls.

It’s not uncommon to notice a new detail every time you look at “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.” Moran was traveling with scientists and was keen to accurately portray the flora, fauna and geology. Can you spot the bear and the raptor in the painting? #BigPictureMorans

Congress bought “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” from Moran for $10,000. It was the first American landscape painting ever purchased for the U.S. Capitol. It initially hung in this very spot in National Statuary Hall #BigPictureMorans

You might be wondering: If I visit @YellowstoneNPS, can I see the same thing as in Moran’s painting? The answer?

Sort of. It’s a composite view from a spot on the North Rim, but Moran took some artistic liberties with the vista and perspective #BigPictureMorans

Who are the people in the painting?

The man seated on the rock with the sketchpad is artist Thomas Moran. He painted himself!

The other person is William Henry Jackson, the photographer. He needed animals to help with gear – a far cry from today’s smartphones!

Moran completed “The Chasm of the Colorado” in 1874. He again captures the forces of nature, this time at what would become @GrandCanyonNPS.

He joined John Wesley Powell’s expedition in 1873 with the intent of painting a vista to pair with his Yellowstone canvas at the Capitol

Check out his signature! Notice the T-Y-M monogram? With the success of his earlier Yellowstone paintings, he started going by Thomas “Yellowstone” Moran. What would YOUR park “middle name” be?

#BigPictureMorans

Both paintings hung prominently at the Capitol until 1950, when President Truman signed a law transferring them to the @Interior. Renovations at the Capitol meant that the paintings were not as publicly visible, and they were too big to hang elsewhere in the building

Spa treatment? No – this is what “The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone” looks like under black light! Museums use this as a tool to learn more about an artifact’s condition and any past restorations. Clues will fluoresce. Our paintings are in great shape for being about 150 y/o!

Behind the scenes// How do you move 7 x 12-foot historic paintings? Very carefully! A crew of specially-trained art handlers assisted w/ the transportation & installation, and @USParkPolice provided a security escort. Lots of collaboration & choreography went into the final plans

We want everyone to experience the #BigPictureMorans! To make the paintings more inclusive, we're exhibiting tactile reproductions, accompanied with audio descriptions, to give people who are blind or with low vision a chance to experience them

What goes into creating an exhibition? So much! Planning, research, writing, finding images, and designing the experience. @InteriorMuseum we recently expanded into >2,000 sq ft of renovated space. Putting up graphics and text panels, installing exhibit cases, lighting- etc 😅

Thanks for joining us today! We're eager to reopen @InteriorMuseum and look forward to sharing details as soon as we can resume safe public access. Until then, we'll keep sharing @Interior artifacts and history with you here! #BigPictureMorans

🎨Catch even more about the #BigPictureMorans on the @Interior blog: doi.gov/blog/thomas-mo…