The Needles 1892

Thomas Moran created this watercolor painting, called "The Needles," sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Moran was a key figure in the artistic movement that encouraged the conservation of the American West, so we can start by thinking about what this image might tell us about the cultural politics of the time. Moran's art often served a dual purpose: it depicted the grandeur of the landscape, but it also encouraged the development of tourism and settlement. "The Needles" evokes a sense of the sublime, but the relatively small size of the work shows that it was probably a study for a larger work to be shown in a gallery. To get a better idea of the cultural values at play in this work, we can look at historical records and travel narratives. We can also research the history of the institutions that supported and promoted landscape painting, such as the National Academy of Design. By studying the social context of "The Needles," we can gain a deeper understanding of its meaning and significance.