Thomas Cole
The Emerging American Character through Art
The Oxbow, 1836
Analysis of the Oxbow
This piece by Cole demonstrates the beauty and greatness of the Nation’s wilderness. With the piece’s vast landscape and lush green lands ahead this painting demonstrated the American ideal that was coming into play at this time, which showed the tremendous opportunity in the country. People at this time in the nation began to have an increased and unified sense of Nationalism and through artists like Cole, this sense of opportunity and pride help to strengthen the American Zeal.
Home in the Woods, 1847
Analysis of Home in the Woods
This piece by Cole shows the beginning of expansion into these unexplored and at this point unknown lands. These new lands represented great opportunity for the nation, and the citizens of the United States at this time felt a great surge of pride. The American Character came to be one based on the idea that there was more freedom in this nation than had ever been experienced and these new lands came to be the symbol of this freedom. The peaceful, serene view of nature represented in this work by Cole shows the great freedom that soon became an essential part to the American Character.
View of the Round-Top in the Catskill Mountain, 1827
Analysis of View of the Round-Top in the Catskill Mountain
This piece of work demonstrates Cole’s love for nature and the serine, idealistic images of nature that he became popular for are featured in this piece. This piece shows the beauty and power that the nation has as it demonstrated the great lands of the United States. The strength and beauty demonstrated in this piece helped people become more unified and excited about where the country was headed at this time. The ideas of Rags to Riches and the American Dream filled the people in this nation with a sense of identity and pride. The Nationalistic wave swept through the country helped to make the American Character.
Thomas Cole's Personal Background
Thomas Cole's Contribution to the Art World
American Pride and Feelings of Nationalism Reflected in this Work
The sense of American Pride and feelings of Nationalism are evident in Cole’s work. Thomas Cole’s paintings became known for their idealistic, beautiful, serene scenes of nature. These scenes of nature showed the beauty and opportunity that the nation held, which was before them and being explored at this time. This marked a very important time for the nation and the people in the nation through artwork like Cole’s were able to become excited and unified about the nation around them. They felt a sense of self and Nationalism within their nation and they were able to recognize the extreme opportunity present in this nation. There was more freedom than had ever been experienced in any society before. The ideas of Rags to Riches and the American Dream filled the people with pride, forming the American Character. It is through artists like Cole that these ideas formed and swept the nation. This can be attributed for because of the great opportunity and beauty depicted for the nation in these paintings.