Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone 1872

Thomas Moran painted ‘Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone’ in 1872, rendering the landscape in watercolor. The dominant motif is water in its various states. The hot springs are depicted as dark, almost bottomless pools, while nearby, mineral deposits create formations resembling frozen waterfalls, evoking an interplay between creation and destruction. Consider the symbolism of water as the source of life, appearing in mythology across cultures, from the Babylonian god Apsu to the Greek Oceanus. Water's association with purification and rebirth manifests in countless rituals. Here, Moran’s thermal springs echo ancient notions of primordial waters, both nurturing and dangerous. The plumes of steam, rendered with delicate strokes, add an element of the sublime, akin to the mists veiling sacred mountains in Chinese landscape paintings. The mountain, a place of spiritual ascent, appears again and again as the axis mundi, uniting the earthly and divine realms. Moran captures this interplay, connecting viewers to a primal landscape that resonates with collective memories. These symbols are not linear, however, but cyclical. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings, reminding us of the interconnectedness of human experience across time.