“Moran was born to Thomas and Mary Higson of Lancashire, England on August 19, 1829. Following in the footsteps of his father’s profession, he learned to operate a hand-loom at a young age, though he would often be found sketching with charcoal on the white fabric instead of plying the shuttle.” (1)
“His family immigrated to Maryland in 1844 from Lancashire, England, where his father was a hand loom weaver. Edward, who was one of twelve children, left home to work in a cotton factory in Philadelphia. He impressed his employer with the large, wall-sized, sketches he did, and was encouraged to pursue art as a career.” (2)
“He and his brother studied and shared a studio in Philadelphia and then both returned for a time to England. There copying the paintings of J M W Turner heavily influenced them. In the mid-1850s, when Philadelphia was experiencing the peak of the U.S. clipper ship production, Edward was influenced by James Hamilton, a prominent Irish-born marine painter, and also by landscapist Paul Weber.” (3)
“By 1857 he had established himself as an artist in Philadelphia.” (4)
“In 1862, he traveled to London and became a pupil in [sic] the Royal Academy. After moving back to Philadelphia, Moran married Annette Parmentier (his second wife), whom he also apprenticed as a landscape artist in her own right.” (1)
“He chose to move to New York City in 1872 where he remained for the rest of his career.” (4)
“In 1868, Moran submitted a group of paintings to be shown at the Pennsylvania Academy. He was unhappy with the placement of his work, however, and on “varnishing day” cut one of his paintings from the canvas and painted over the rest with an opaque wash. The outraged directors demanded an apology and threatened to leave the damaged paintings in the exhibition. The scandal made its way into the newspapers and people clamored to see the infamous defaced paintings. Moran never apologized to the directors and eventually resigned as a member of the academy.” (5)
“In the 1890s Moran turned to historical marine scenes, a genre he had not generally worked in before. Thirteen canvases were completed between 1891 and 1898 depicting the maritime history of America. The series, which includes Landing of Leif Eriksson in the New World in 1001, Return of the Conquerors, and Burning of the Frigate Philadelphia, is now in the collection of the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis.” (6)
“Moran was a member of the National Academy of Design, the American Watercolor Society, and the Lotus Club. His work is represented in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Denver Art Museum. Moran was part of a great dynasty of American art. His brothers, Thomas and Peter, and his sons, Percy and Leon, were all distinguished artists.
Moran died in 1901.” (3)
Reference
1. A Victorian Staff. Edward Moran [internet]. A Victorian; 1997 [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: http://www.avictorian.com/Moran_Edward.html
2. Gratz Gallery Staff. Edward Moran [internet]. Gratz Gallery; 2009 [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: http://gratzgallery.com/inventory/index.php?page=out&id=311
3. Askart Staff. Edward Moran [internet]. [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: https://www.askart.com/artist_bio/Edward_Moran/21423/Edward_Moran.aspx
4. The Caldwell Gallery Staff. Edward Moran [internet]. The Caldwell Gallery [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: https://www.caldwellgallery.com/bios/moranbio.html
5. Smithsonian American Art Museum Staff. Edward Moran [internet]. Washington, DC: Smithsonian American Art Museum [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: https://americanart.si.edu/artist/edward-moran-3400
6. The Knohl Collection Staff. Edward Moran (British-born American, 1829-1901) [internet]. The Knohl Collection [cited 2020 Jan 22]. Available from: http://www.theknohlcollection.com/portfolio/detail/edward-moran-american-1829-1901/