Rooted in Art: Trees in National Park Service Art Collections

Thomas Moran's field sketches and paintings captured the majesty of Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and other places in the West. His paintings helped inspire Congress to establish the National Park System in 1916. The original painting is dated 1912.

This piece was part of a 15 chromolithograph set of Moran paintings published by Louis Prang in 1874 for the country's centennial.

Talus House is located in Frijoles Canyon, near the Bandelier Visitor Center. These homes crumbled long ago, but the one captured in this pastel was reconstructed. As part of the Works Progress Administration Program (WPA), Naumer painted scenes in Bandelier National Monument and nearby pueblos.

Gruppé (1860-1940) studied painting in Europe, but lived in Rochester, New York until the 1920s. Although the title refers to the sheep herder, the man and the sheep make up a small part of this dramatic painting, where the skeletal trees fan out against a yellowing, winter sky.

Born in Boston, George Loring Brown (1814-89) spent much of his career in Europe, primarily in Italy, though he painted many notable American landscapes. The painting depicts the serene beauty of the New England coastline, highlighting Brown's signature luminous style and his ability to capture soft morning light filtering through the trees.

In this unsigned nightscape, Weir (1852-1919), captured the moon rising through a tree east of his Branchville, Connecticut home. The painting is a focus for the delicate interplay of light filtering through a dense tree canopy and is characteristic of his atmospheric style,

Weber (1906-1979) was a scientific illustrator and painted diorama backgrounds for exhibits. This painting shows the crocodile in front of the mangrove trees of the Everglades. He realistically captured the tangled, arching "walking roots" characteristic of red mangroves.

Jackson (1843-1942) documented life during the American Civil War. The painting depicts the historic Fairfax County Courthouse, an iconic structure that served as a frequent backdrop for skirmishes and troop movements during the American Civil War.

William McIlvaine, Jr. (1813-67). After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, he studied art in Europe. The artist served in the 5th New York Infantry during the American Civil War. While in the service,  he found time to paint fine watercolors of Union Army camp life.

A skilled painter, printmaker, draughtsman and hunter, Bodmer (1809-93) accompanied explorer Prince Maximillian zu Wied-Neuwied on his Missouri River expedition of 1832 - 1834. The artist is best known for his detailed and refined recording of the American West.