Maroon Bells vs. Sunlit Moraine

The Land Ho! exhibit has brought in a large variety of artwork that have many similarities, but from completely different angles. Two images that I loved as a pair were Sunlit Moraine, by Paul Dougherty, and the Maroon Bells, by Sue McNally. What I love about this pairing is how similar they are, yet highly contrasting. I love the realistic feel in Sunlit Moraine. You can see the texture of the rigid mountains and the fluffiness of the clouds. On the other hand, there’s Maroon Bells, which has an entirely different color scheme. This painting is also realistic, but with vibrant, over-the-top colors that depict the mountain and valley as majestic. It has a striking way of catching and bringing your eye to the details crafted into the painting.

This pair works really well together because the strikingly similar shapes in the paintings, while at the same time being portrayed in a completely different manner; one seems more reserved, and the other is lively and animated. It is almost as if each painting is helping promote the artwork next to it.

Both of the images have large mountains on the sides, with a valley in the middle. The skies are completely different, as well as the terrain. Though they both resemble and contrast one another, neither is more beautiful than the other. These two paintings feel like they are playing catch with my eyes, passing my attention back and forth between the two images. I almost don't know where to look because I can’t decide where to keep my attention, as they are both so deserving.

The Maroon Bells is a much larger scaled painting than the Sunlit Moraine. McNally’s painting is roughly four times larger than Dougherty’s. The Maroon Bells is measured 90 x 114 inches while the Sunlit Moraine is only 21 x 26 inches. The size difference in these paintings is rather drastic, but they both have the same ability to grab the viewer’s attention. Even though the scale, color pallet, and sense of realism are completely different, they contrast one another. These two artworks are a great representation of how artists can present similar masterpieces in very different ways.