Summit of the Sierras

Painted in 1872, Summit of the Sierras is a work by Thomas Moran, now in the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, that reflects the artistic concerns of the late 19th century — an era of fundamental transformation in both the methods and purposes of European and American painting. Thomas Moran was the great painter of the American Southwest, best known for his monumental visions of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and the Colorado Rockies. His large-scale canvases, exhibited in Congress, helped persuade lawmakers to establish the first national parks.

Moran worked with richly layered glazes building luminous atmospheric depth, combining precise geological observation with romantic chromatic drama. His palette favors spectacular warm golds and oranges in canyon light contrasted against deep violet shadows.