Thomas Cole: The Course of Empire

Several years ago I wrote a research paper entitled "A Ray of Light," in which I traced the history of my all-time favorite group of American painters, the Hudson River School. From the introduction:

These days, artists, especially non-Christians are not mindful of the primary reason we create art, that is, to glorify God. Since they don’t believe in God, they don’t believe in order, and that ignorance is reflected in their “art.” Over the centuries, Christians have let the extraordinary power, beauty and purpose of art slip through their fingers, and now it has become what it is. Today, we must work hard to recover the great blessing of the arts, and restore its lofty purpose. Americans have a basis upon which the restoration of art may take place, namely, the religious roots of our country and an artistic movement which occurred in the 19th century—the Hudson River School of Art. This society of artists was primarily Christian, and painted magnificent landscapes which exalted God through his majestic Creation. The artwork of the Hudson River School is the most significant landmark in American art because it incorporated a proper biblical worldview into the arts—something which is rarely seen in our country today.

Click here if you want to read the entire paper.

One of the painters I discuss in the paper is Thomas Cole, one the HRS's founders and an artist who more or less defined the character and ideals of the entire group. Cole was a very poetic artist. Take, for example, his remarkable 5-painting series "The Course of Empire,"(1834-36) in which Cole pictures 5 figurative stages in the life of a great civilization, all from the same vantage point (notice the mountain in the background is always there). Here are the 5 paintings in sequential order.

"The Savage State"

"The Pastorial or Arcadian Age"

"The Consummation of Empire"

"Destruction"

"Desolation"

A landmark in Thomas Cole’s career was his completion of the five painting series The Course of Empire, which traced the history of an archetypical civilization from its roots to its ultimate demise. This could be an allusion to the artist’s belief that America would take this same course, but he most likely painted it to satisfy his lifelong desire to integrate symbolism, pictorial poetry and history into his art. The whole series could be yet another illustration of the fall—man lives in a peaceful, joyful environment until the enemy invades and man’s former relationship with God is cut off, leaving him in a desolate wasteland of sin. Whatever the overall meaning, it is most definitely an exhibition of Cole’s mastery not only of paint on a canvas, but of the poetic, romantic style which characterized the Hudson River School.

Wikipedia has an article on the HRS, as well as links to more information on the leading artists in the movement. You can also read my paper for a more detailed summary of the worldview behind their art.