© 2024 Wyoming Public Media
800-729-5897 | 307-766-4240
Wyoming Public Media is a service of the University of Wyoming
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Transmission & Streaming Disruptions

Museum Minute: Zoroaster Peak

Thomas Moran (American, born England, 1837-1926). Zoroaster Peak (Grand Canyon, Arizona), 1918. Oil on canvas, 9 x 12 inches. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming, USA. Purchased by the Board of Trustees in honor of Peter H. Hassrick. 11.96

Thomas Moran was one of the artist documenting the expansion to the West. He was on the first formal expedition in 1871 to Yellowstone country to document the geological wonders of the area.

He would raft down the Colorado River and during resting periods sketched on the shores. Moran would then bring the sketches back to his studio and worked them up to more formal, polished paintings.

It was Moran's depictions of Yellowstone and later of other natural places in the West that helped influence lawmakers in Washington to set aside Yellowstone as the very first national park.

Zoroaster Peak depicts Moran’s longevity. He was in his 80’s when he painted it. Zoroaster Peak features Moran’s trademark monogram. The monogram is TYM. Those letters stand for Thomas Yellowstone and showed how he really claimed Yellowstone as his artistic ground. Alongside the monogram, Moran included his fingerprint, the long, slender thumbprint just below is monogram was an early attempt at verification and authentication.

Kamila has worked for public radio stations in California, New York, France and Poland. Originally from New York City, she loves exploring new places. Kamila received her master in journalism from Columbia University. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring the surrounding areas with her two pups and husband.