Thomas Moran

Ruth Moran, East Hampton, New York (acquired by descent from the artist)

Ann Fraser Brewer, New York (acquired from the above in October 1933)

Private Collection, United States (acquired by descent from the above)

Acquired by descent from the above in August 2016 by the present owner 

Painted slightly east of the Grand View Hotel, constructed by Pete Berry and Martha Berry between 1892 and 1897 near Grandview Point, Grand Canyon of Arizona from “Berrys” presents a sweeping northeastward view from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The composition opens onto vast chasms, stratified rock formations, and receding mesas, conveying the canyon’s immense scale and geological complexity. Subtle modulations of light and shadow, atmospheric distance, and an elevated vantage point place the viewer at the precipice, emphasizing both depth and grandeur. 

In this work, Thomas Moran transforms the Grand Canyon from a specific topographical site into a monumental and sublime vision of the American West. The painting reflects Moran’s mastery in translating vast natural landscapes into evocative pictorial form, capturing the canyon’s silence, color, and immensity with poetic intensity. Its significance is further enhanced by its personal importance to the artist: the work remained in Moran’s studio near the end of his life and was deeply cherished by his daughter, Ruth Moran, who retained it even as other works were offered for sale. 

The painting remained in the Moran family until 1933, underscoring its exceptional personal significance to the artist and his heirs. It hung in Thomas Moran’s studio until he passed away in 1926 and was exhibited around 1930 alongside a group of work offered for sale; however, this one was deliberately withheld. Ruth Moran chose to retain the work for herself, a decision that reflects the esteem in which it was held as a fully realized and meaningful expression of her father’s vision of the Grand Canyon. Only after several years did she part with the painting, selling it in 1933 to Mrs. Ann Fraser Brewer of East Hampton, New York.