Drawn to Yellowstone

Abstract

I offer a critical reading of the most famous painting of Yellowstone Park, Thomas Moran's (1872) The Grand Canyon of the YelloWstone (GCY). This painting functions as the paradigmatic image of the Park and the commodification of a specific site within the Park — namely, the canyon and falls of the Yellowstone River. I present a four-act performance text that follows the production of Moran's painting from its earliest sketches and wood cuts in 1870 to its public display and sale to the US Congress for $10,000 in 1872. In making sense of Moran and his moment, I create a discourse consisting of quotations and statements extracted from existing historical documents.