Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran was born on February 12th, 1837 in Bolton, England. After emigrating to the United States, he began working as a wood engraver—though he found the craft to be boring at best. Influenced heavily by the works of J.M.W. Turner, he took up watercolor painting, eventually transitioning to oils as well.
Moran moved to the east end of Long Island, NY in 1884. His was the first studio built on the island, paving the way for many other impressionists—including William Merritt Chase and Winslow Homer—to establish a thriving art community. Some of his finest works were completed in his L.I. studio, among them landscapes of the island itself.
“Sunset, Long Island Sound” captures a nearly blinding-white evening on the body of water that separates Long Island from coastal Connecticut. The sky dominates the image, illuminating the earth in a warm, lively glow. Light reflects off the rocks and grasses, contrasting with the dark depths of the stands of trees that border either side of the Sound.
Moran employed soft, imperceptible brushwork in depicting the low-lying mosses and underbrush of the mainland. They ripple with varying hues of green, while the water’s surface—placid in the windless twilight—is even, not an imperfection to be found. The variation in both brushwork and color creates a range of textures, adding a degree of photorealism to the composition.
- Anthony deFeo