Shoshone Falls on the Snake River

Shoshone Falls on the Snake River in Idaho had captivated Moran since his first visit in the 1870s, and this 1900 canvas returns to one of the great natural spectacles of the American West. The falls — sometimes called the 'Niagara of the West' for their height and volume — presented Moran with the kind of sublime subject around which his entire career was organized. By 1900 he had painted the falls multiple times, each canvas an attempt to convey the drama of the water's plunge through the canyon. The Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa holds this version as part of their substantial collection of Western American painting.

Moran constructs the falls as a vertical drama of cascading water against dark basalt canyon walls. His technique uses contrasting values to maximize the visual impact — the white of the falling water against the deep browns and blacks of the rock. Atmospheric mist softens the base of the falls, suggesting both the roar of the water and the damp air that surrounds it.