Sublime Impressions (Prints and Printmakers of the Grand Canyon)

Topographers, illustrators, and painter-printmakers explored and created images of the Grand Canyon, and the evolution of these genres parallels the history of American printmaking in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Beginning with geological studies and including prints for tourists and collectors, printmakers have approached the Canyon from the vantage point of line, tone and pattern. In so doing, they made significant contributions to imagining one of America’s most renowned geological monuments, yet their works have not been extensively studied like those of painters and photographers. This book traces the history of printmaking in the Grand Canyon from the topographical images of the first explorers to the abstracted works of 20th century modernists to show how a medium changed the way the Grand Canyon was represented and, thus, the public’s perception of it.