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Critical Analysis: The Shores of Lake Superior
Lindsay Hayes
ARTS 209-B09
School of Behavioral Sciences, Liberty University
Professor Sarah Casmass
October 15th, 2021
The Shores of Lake Superior
Thomas Moran
1866
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Critical Analysis: The Shores of Lake Superior
There are so many genres of art out in the world. Most of them date back centuries ago,
long before any of our days here on earth. There is so much you can learn about history when
viewing a piece. That is why art, if it has any historical value, is kept in art museums. In these
modern days that we are all forced to live in, unfortunately, we have COVD-19 hindering most
of the activities we enjoy going out and getting to do. Going on a tour of the local art museum’s
art gallery, for example. Due to the pandemic, most museums are no longer operating like they
had been prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. Instead, a lot of museums now offer their patrons
the option of viewing their art gallery’s collection online, in a virtual tour. Virtual tours are
going to turn the good old fashion, in-person, tours into a thing of the past due to the
convenience of enjoying the beauty art has to offer.
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
The art museum I chose to do my virtual tour on is a hidden little gem here in my home
state of Arkansas, in the city that is the home of the headquarters office of Walmart, located in
Bentonville. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which was established in 2005 by
philanthropist Alice Walton (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, 2021). Moshe Safdie,
world-renowned architect, designed the museum’s building, which they opened to the public on
November 11th, 2011. They are open to the public Monday from 11am-6pm, Wednesday through
Friday from 11am-9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm. They are closed on
Tuesdays. You can also visit them at their webpage, crystalbridges.org where you find their
option to do virtual tours from the comfort of your own home, which is what I did for my tour.
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The Shores of Lake Superior
During my virtual tour on Crystal Bridges’ website, I saw so many interesting pieces of
artwork. Out of all the sculptures, paintings, and wood work that was all ever so carefully
displayed, I fell in love with a piece by Thomas Moran, titled The Shores of Lake Superior
(Moran, 1866). Moran’s inspiration behind the work is Michigan’s very own Lake Superior, one
of the wonders of the world, Great Lakes. Lake Superior is the largest, and the northernmost of
the five Great Lakes of Michigan (Great Lakes — Lake Superior, 2016). It is an oil on canvas
that was completed in 1866.
Initial Reaction
When I first caught a glance at the piece, I was taken aback by the beauty that the artist
ever so carefully portrayed in the precise, and detailed this painting was. It gave me a feeling of
peacefulness. I was also filled with rare and pure emotion, that was brought on by the way the
painting seems to effortlessly display God’s role in the beauty of the whole ordeal. It’s another
great specimen of His great creations.
Detailed Description
In the oil on canvas, the 25×45 ⅛ inch painting of the Shores of Lake Superior, the first
thing the on-looker sees is the sun-rising, or it could be setting. It is positioned, hidden behind
the clouds, overlooking Lake Superior, and its mountainous borders that seem to wrap around the
edges of the water. The mountains, better described as cliffs, would make a perfect diving
location for those thrill-seeking cliff divers out there. Located in the right-hand corner of the
painting, is the lake’s embankment. Upon the edge of the water, you see three deer that are
enjoying the scenery. There are, what looks to be, two females laying in the grass; and one big
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male buck, standing on guard, protecting his two female companions. Moran composed the
painting, with its calm, subdued setting in this landscaping portrait of Mother Nature, depicts the
impression of cooler, colder weather. Mid-Autumn, early winter, maybe. Most of the leaves have
turned brown, and fallen off the tree’s branches. The grass is looking brown in areas as well. The
embankment is rocky and rigid in spots. The dark gray clouds lay below a pinkish-orange sky,
with no evidence of the sun, other than the yellow rays peeking through the clouds.
Moran’s Composition of Elements and Principles
The arrangement of the subject-matter within the portrait flows together in a harmonious,
naturally organic manner. The horizon helps to set the clear, subdued vibe Moran was, more
than likely, hoping to achieve. The overall tone of the painting, sets off a medium set value for
the painting as a whole. I feel it was done in the medium manner to help set the setting for telling
the viewers what season of the year it was portraying.
Visual Cues
The overall illusion of depth, achieved by the reflection of the cliff’s edges on the water.
There is also, what looks to be, a layered look as the mountains fade off into the distance in the
background of the painting. Moran put to use in the painting, about fourteen different colors that
he blended together to create the perfect illusion of the ray of the sun used as the light source for
the overall portrait.
The Viewer’s Perspective
From my point-of-view, the overall theme of Moran’s piece was to capture the natural
beauty of the marvelous wonders of the universe, by choosing to use Lake Superior as his
specimen of choice. I believe the work, which is rightfully titled, The Shores of Lake Superior,
one of the five Great Lakes of Michigan. Moran seems like the outdoorsy type of man that
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appreciated the beauty and tranquility that only the outdoors can give a person. He probably held
a Christian based worldview, so he used his masterpieces to share a few of God’s creations with
the rest of the world.
Thomas Moran
Thomas Moran was born in 1837 in Bolton, England ( , n.d.). During someThomas Moran
point in his childhood, his family migrated to the United States, identifying as American, he
would grow up and obtain his education. He attended painting school at Hudson River School,
and also spent some time at the Rocky Mountain School. He spent his career of art mastering
Romanticism in the Philadelphia, Newark, East Hampton, Colorado, and Wyoming areas.
Likewise, he traveled around in those general areas of the States, capturing the beauty of many
natural, nature-based landscapes up until he passed away in Santa Barbara, California in 1926.
Final Thoughts
My overall thoughts and feelings about the piece of art, composed by Thomas Moran, is
pretty much the same as it was when I began this assignment. The painting is a true display of
pure harmonic bliss and peacefulness. The Shore of Lake Superior has helped me gain a better
understanding of the elements involved in art making, and as well as the principles too. Don’t be
put off by the whole virtual tours offered by museums these days. It is only a way of opening the
doors for many who are unable to attend an actual in-person tour of the art works of many
talented and gifted artists. Don’t take my word for it, just log on and experience it for yourself.
Happy art hunting!
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References
About Crystal Bridges | Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. (2021).
https://crystalbridges.org/about/
Great Lakes — Lake Superior. (2016). https://www.michigan.org/great-lakes/lake-superior
Lazzari, M. & Schelsier, D. (2016). Exploring Art: A Global, Thematic Approach. Cengage
Learning.
https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?snapshotId=2578722&id=1283222
037&deploymentId=568062172112637948173168576&eISBN=9781337281720
Moran, T. (1866). The Shores of Lake Superior [Oil on Canvas]. Crystal Bridges Museum of
American Art.
https://collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/10276/the-shores-of-lake-superior#
Thomas Moran. (n.d.). Retrieved October 13, 2021, from
https://americanart.si.edu/artist/thomas-moran-3406
