The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 19, 2025

Yellowstone Canyon

c. 1932

Edd A. Ruggles

(American, 1880–1940)
America
gelatin silver print
Image: 25.9 x 25.7 cm (10 3/16 x 10 1/8 in.); Paper: 26.7 x 26.5 cm (10 1/2 x 10 7/16 in.); Matted: 50.8 x 40.6 cm (20 x 16 in.)
Gift of Mrs. Edd A. Ruggles 1972.1093
Location: Not on view

Description

Hired shortly before its formal opening in 1916, Ruggles was the Cleveland Museum of Art's photographer for 25 years. During that time he pursued his own work, photographing the American landscape and English architecture. In this tightly cropped composition of a steep canyon split by rushing water, he concentrated on the rugged beauty of the American West. The striking geological formations became sculptural through strong contrasts of light and shade. By eliminating the horizon line, Ruggles challenged the viewer's perception of scale and distance, enlivening the image with visual ambiguity.
  • American Space: Landscape Photography 1900-1950. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (January 6-May 23, 2001).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; January 3-May 23, 2001. "American Space: Landscape Photography, 1900-1950."
  • {{cite web|title=Yellowstone Canyon|url=false|author=Edd A. Ruggles|year=c. 1932|access-date=19 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1972.1093