Peter Moran (American 1841 – 1914) Quiet Conversation

Moran was born in Bolton, Lancashire, England; however, the family immigrated to the United States from England in 1844, settling in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As a teen, Moran was apprenticed to the lithographic printers, Herline and Hersel. Being the younger brother of noted Philadelphia artists Edward and Thomas Moran, young Peter took instruction from them—marine painting from Edward and landscape painting from Thomas. However, he was more inclined to capture animals in his landscapes and thus was drawn to the animal paintings of French artists Rosa Bonheur and Constant Tryon, which he copied.

Moran had some early experience as a stage scene painter and had minor acting roles in the plays of Mrs. John Drew (of the Barrymore acting family). Thankfully, he settled on animal painting, especially those with cows, as his forte. He was to become one of the best-known animal painters in the United States. In1863, he visited London with the intent to become a pupil of Edwin Landseer; however, he returned to Philadelphia before taking that step, apparently being satisfied with just seeing Landseer’s animal paintings.

He made a trip to New Mexico in 1864, years before his more famous brother, Thomas; however, Peter was to make several more western excursions in the following years—he accompanied his brother, Thomas, to the Tetons in 1879 and in 1883, Captain John S. Bourke, of the United States Cavalry, to Indian pueblos in Phoenix, Arizona where he observed the Snake Dance of the Moqui Pueblo Indians in 1883, and in 1890 he was a special agent/artist for the United States Census Bureau along with artist friend Henry R. Poole.

Peter had taken up etching in 1874 and became a master of the technique; his etchings were the first purchased by a major American publisher in 1877. He would go on to record his western observations through his etchings. In the 1880s he introduced a class in etching at the Philadelphia School of Design, the first institution in the country to do so. He was the head of the department and taught classes in landscape and etching. He was to maintain a studio in Philadelphia for the remainder of his life, sharing it with his wife, Emily Kelley, also a painter and etcher. He made sketching trips along Neshaminy Creek in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and along the Atlantic coast.

Moran was a member of the Philadelphia Society of Etchers (president); Artists Fund Society; Philadelphia Art Club (founder). He exhibited at the Centennial Exposition (Philadelphia, 1876, medal for etchings); National Academy of Design (1866-87); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (1859-85); Boston Art Club (1880); Brooklyn Art Association (1882); Art Institute of Chicago (1894-1909); AAS (1902, gold); Philadelphia Art Club (1904, founder).

High auction record for this artist: $112,500.