| Identifier |
1978_202_wtCliffs.jpg |
| Title |
White Cliffs, Utah |
| Alternate Title |
White Clifs, Utah |
| Artist's Notation |
"dessin paru dans la Nature" |
| Creator |
Tissandier, Albert 1839-1906 |
| Subject |
White Cliffs (Utah)--1880-1890; Cliffs--Utah--White Cliffs--1880-1890; Landscape drawings--1880-1890 |
| Published Location |
Appears as figure 26 (p. 97), engraved by H[enri] Thiriat, in Albert Tissandier's book Six mois aux États-Unis : voyage d'un touriste dans l'Amérique du nord suivi d'une excursion à Panama (Paris : G. Masson, [1886]), with the caption "White Cliffs (Utah), (d'après nature)". Associated text (p. 101): "De retour à Kanab, je songeai qu'il était temps de rentrer à Salt Lake City et dans la civilisation américaine, et je commençai mon retour. Du reste, cette dernière partie du voyage a aussi de l'intérêt. Depuis Kanab jusqu'à Panguitch le paysage n'est pas d'un aspect moins invraisemblable que dans l'Arizona. Il est même encore plus curieux, plus bizarre peut-être, sans être cependant aussi grandiose. Les couleurs des rochers de grès de l'Utah sont absolument extraordinaires. Nos chevaux, en suivant longtemps le lit de la rivière de Kanab presque desséchée au mois de juin, marchent dans un sable mouillé entre deux talus de grès couleur crème; par dessus ces talus s'élèvent des monticules couleur orange, couverts en partie de cèdres au feuillage foncé et de sauges bleuâtres; plus loin apparaissent de murailles de grès rose veiné de blanc; enfin à l'horizon les White Cliffs, énormes rochers mamelonnés, contrastent avec ces effets par leur formes et leur blancheur éblouissante (fig. 26). La rivière de Kanab est bordée dans une certaine partie de ses rives par un long banc de pierres volcaniques que les White Cliffs dominent. On distingue aisément sur ces roches de grès, polies par les siècles, les longues stries des anciens glaciers." |
| Short Essay |
Utah has one of the greatest concentrations of spectacular geological formations in the world. Located primarily in the southern and eastern parts of the State, the rock formations are known for their amazing shapes and vibrant colors. Eroding forces of wind and water created the delicate arches, sheer mountains, ridges, spires and canyons that dominate the landscape. Tissandier's drawing of the White Cliffs of southern Utah is a sensitively detailed rendition of his response to this geologically diverse region. Located near Zion National Park, the White Cliffs are unique even in their setting of unusual forms. They consist of a white rock formation set against the surrounding flat terrain. Known as color country, contrasting forms and shapes decorate the desert landscape around the White Cliffs. Tissandier described his reaction to this spectacular region: "The colors of the sandstone in Utah are absolutely extraordinary. Our horses, for a long time following the riverbed of the Kanab, almost dry in the month of June, walked in wet sand between two slopes of cream-colored sandstone. Above these slopes rose orange colored hillocks, partly covered with dark-leaved cedars and bluish sage. Further away appeared walls of pink sandstone veined with black. Finally, on the horizon, the enormous White Cliffs appeared, contrasting with these effects with their form and dazzling whiteness." In this drawing, Tissandier situates the White Cliffs in the distance with scrub brush and dwarfed trees in the foreground. The two diminutive figures in the middle ground are dominated by the: "easily distinguished sandstone rocks, polished by the centuries, the long striae of ancient glaciers". In spite of the harsh climate and desert conditions, the White Cliffs still attract tourists and are protected by the National and State Parks Association. |
| Publisher |
Utah Museum of Fine Arts |
| Contributors |
Mary F. Francey |
| Date |
1885-06-19 |
| Type |
Image |
| Format |
application/pdf |
| Source |
Albert Tissandier: Drawings of Nature and Industry in the United States |
| Language |
fre |
| Rights Management |
Digital image c2001 Utah Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah |
| Source Physical Dimensions |
33.02 cm High x 41.28cm Wide |
| Source Characteristics |
Graphite and brush applied ink on paper |
| Light Source |
Kaiser Softlite ProVision 6x55W flourescent 5400K daylight |
| Archival Resolution |
TIFF: 4952 x 4224 pixels |
| Display Resolution |
JPEG: 900 x 795 pixels |
| Bit Depth |
36-bit color |
| Scanning Device |
Leica S1 Pro scanning camera; Hasselblad CFi 50mm F/4 lens; f/11 |
| Exhibit Catalog |
ISBN: 0-9657215-0-7; Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2001094211 |
| Setname |
uu_umfa_at |
| ID |
415788 |
| Reference URL |
https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6bk1cds/415788 |
