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John Moran (artist) American, 1831 - 1903 The Wissahickon Creek near Philadelphia, c. 1865 albumen print overall: 26.7 x 34.9 cm (10 1/2 x 13 3/4 in.) Anonymous Gift 1999.6.1 |
Object 6 of 15
Perhaps as an antidote to the Civil War that ravaged the American landscape and psyche, John Moran made this carefully constructed, idyllic photograph of the Wissahickon Creek, just outside of Philadelphia. He presents an artist, perhaps his brother, the painter Thomas Moran, quietly sketching the beauty of the natural environment. The artist's central position and his reflection, perfectly mirrored in the still pool of water in the foreground, seem to confirm both his importance and his harmony with his surroundings. The ability of the artist to bring order to his world is further suggested by the delicate retouching in the upper left of the photograph to remove the jarring intrusion of a building into this bucolic vista.
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