A Passing Shower

Like Albert Bierstadt and his panoramic paintings of the West, English-born Thomas Moran’s reputation rests on his celebrated views of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon. His extraordinary images of these scenic wonders astonished the American public and became a catalyst for the birth of the National Park System.

Shortly before this work was painted, Moran built a cottage and studio in East Hampton, New York. There the artist made a remarkable series of works quite unlike the supercharged drama of his Western scenes. In this intimately scaled work, with its subdued palette, Moran used rapid strokes to depict a small sailboat taking refuge from the approaching storm, dramatically rendered by the mass of dark clouds.