Florida Scene Essay

In 1877, Thomas Moran adventured to Fort George Island, Florida with his wife and conducted studies of trees and branches. Something special was noticed through his hours of study. The hazy blue sky, palm trees, and golden sand suggest a romantic desert island where people could escape their everyday lives. Florida Scene is an oil on canvas painting of the beautiful landscape of Florida. The creator who painted Florida Scene in 1878 is an artist by the name of Thomas Moran. The painting is currently on view at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The artist was greatly influenced by the beauty of Nature. It is a depiction of southern landscape in America. It has irregular shapes and shows the ocean, vegetation, and sky in a luscious landscape.

The technique used to create this painting is called atmospheric perspective. This perspective allows the viewer to have an illusion of depth. The painting depicts large trees with many small shrubs underneath near a small body of water with the ocean in the background. The painting depicts the beautiful climate of the favored Sunshine State.

The curving Palm tree in the center of the painting is the main focal point of this piece. The painting is so detailed it makes the viewer feel as if they are in the Sunshine State. In the background of the painting is a ship that seems very small away due to its size and passengers descending from the boat. The passengers are walking towards the viewer’s standpoint which creates a feeling of exploration and adventure. There are two people closer to the viewer’s standpoint which help to compare the distance to the other people who are further away. The boat is lacking detail intentionally. It is uncertain in the painting if the ship had crashed on shore or beached due to low tide. The passengers around the boat look as if they are downloading items off the ship. This allows to viewer to feel as if the ship is far away from their view point. The ship does not have as much detail as the palm tree and vegetation on the beach. Moran also depicts a feeling of motion in the painting. The painting of the sky also gives a feeling of space from the viewer’s standpoint. This beautiful painting was influenced by the fine details of

nature.
The form of the painting has all aspects of nature detailed within it.

All aspects of nature such as the ocean, beach, vegetation, trees, sky, and man-made objects create an interesting combinations to create a nature scene of the Sunshine State. The light blue-gray sky create an atmosphere for the viewer that they are in a warm climate. The dark green and lighter green trees and shrubs are colored in such a manner to depict the harsh sun on the beach. The taller trees and shrubs are dark and shielding the viewer’s standpoint from the sun. The smaller vegetation on the left side of the painting are lighter colored which express their exposure to the sun. There is a balance in the painting that is directly affected by the painter’s ability to have you imagine the size of objects and the position of the sun. The artist uses good asymmetric balance. There is a very busy scene on the left side of the painting as the people are abandoning their ship that is ashore. The right side of the painting and the main focal point is the vegetation and the towering palm tree. The tree and vegetation give a sense of calmness and beauty. Both sides of the painting create a significant

balance.
Thomas Moran was born in England and began his artistic career as a teenage apprentice by doing wood engravings. It was a tedious process and he worked on his own water colors on his spare time. He was influenced by a British artist named J.M.W. Turner who was a lasting influence on Thomas Moran. He made several influences on America that even persuaded President Grant and the U.S. Congress that Yellowstone was to be preserved. Moran had a true passion and excitement for portraying the beauty of nature in his paintings. He then traveled later in his life with his wife to Fort George Island, Florida, and made studies on the landscape of the Sunshine State. Surprisingly after the painting had been around for twenty years, the East Coast States had become quite the tourist attraction. The scene that he captured for this painting speaks of the rugged terrain of Florida. The people who are getting off the ship seem very excited and the closer people from the viewer’s standpoint seem as if they are enjoying their time in the sun. It speaks strongly about the Sunshine State being a huge tourist spot and an exotic excursion. The painting clearly portrays the timeframe of the painting as well. The dress and modest apparel of the people getting off the ship are appropriate for these years in American history.
This scene of Florida demonstrates the rugged terrain and beauty it holds as well. It is a very good piece. It expresses all aspects of nature in Florida. The artistry has tremendous value. The piece also depicts a time in history for America. Americans were discovering new places to tour and adventure. There were many lands that were not so popular due to modes of transportation. As you can see in the painting they are using a sail ship. He communicates in the piece a sense of warmth and excitement. It is easy to believe it was a big influence to future tourism in America. The use of colors clearly creates lines to emphasize the focal points of the painting. The people walking in the painting tie the connection of people and nature and the want to inhabit in the same setting. If the panting was missing any element such as sky or ocean it would be incomplete. In total Moran captured a total depiction of Florida and its beauty in a single painting. It is extremely detailed and brilliant the way Moran made the trees and shrubs detailed but the ship and people blurry. This grabs the attention of the audience and focuses them on the beauty of Florida. It is truly a beautiful and amazing piece of Art and American History.
A painting such as the Florida Scene is a perfect example of how and artist can express many aspects of art forms in one single piece. His attention to detail and passion to express nature to others is now a foundation in American art. The Florida Scene is truly a work of art and requires attention when viewing the piece.