Thomas Moran ⁽¹⁾

Thomas Moran (1837–1926) was an American painter who helped sell the entire idea of the American West to the world—long before Instagram made landscapes cool. Born in England but raised in Pennsylvania, Moran found his true muse in the wild, untamed beauty of the American frontier. His dramatic, color-rich depictions of Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and other sweeping landscapes didn’t just turn heads—they helped convince Congress to establish national parks. That’s right: art actually saved nature.

Moran was often called the “Painter of the Yellowstone” for good reason. In 1871, he tagged along on a government expedition to what was then largely uncharted Wyoming territory. The sketches and watercolors he brought back were so breathtaking, they played a direct role in making Yellowstone the first national park. But Moran didn’t stop there—he went on to capture epic scenes from across the American West, often on a grand, cinematic scale. His paintings weren’t just pretty pictures; they were invitations to wonder, wildness, and preservation. In a way, Moran helped Americans see their own backyard for the first time—and it was glorious.