French Battleship Jena in Italian Seaport -- Metamorphosis

Afternoon Wrap of Lace and Moleskin - Metamorphosis

This Chic Evening Gown is of White Satin and Golden Net - Metamorphosis

At first glance, viewers might not be sure what the subject of this image is, or its medium. Is this an old photograph of a snow-covered mountain and a stream or is it a glacier? Perhaps a faded print of a valley with mist-enshrouded hills in the distance? The title only adds to our confusion. Why would Thomas Moran, noted for his landscapes, give this work a title that refers to an item of clothing? Yet there is a clue in the last word: metamorphosis. Are we looking at the transformation of an article of clothing into a landscape? Now we are on the right track, and the medium—white gouache, pencil, and newsprint—tells the rest of the story.¹

A Maiden Lane Dealer Weighing a Shipment of Diamond - Metamorphosis

Mrs. Mary J. Wilhelm - Metamorphosis