Born in England’s industrial northeast in 1801, artist Thomas Cole emigrated to America as a young man. Here, he found a country brimming with unchartered and untamed wilderness. His masterful handling of light, composition, and aerial perspective captured the sublime character of the American wilderness.
Cole found his unique place as one of the first artists to apply the style of European Romantism to American landscapes, and gave birth to what we know today as the Hudson River School.
His Early Years
“View of Fort Putnam,” 1825, by Thomas Cole. Oil on canvas; 27.25 inches by 34 inches. Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Public Domain)
Cole had a keen eye and taught himself to paint by observing the works of other artists. In 1822, he began to work as a portraitist. One of his patrons, George Bruen, financed a summer trip for him to visit New York’s Hudson Valley in 1825. There he painted five landscapes from scenes of the Catskill Mountains, Kaaterskill Falls, and Cold Spring (New York’s Hudson Highland). The landscapes “Lake with Dead Trees (Catskill),” “Kaaterskill Upper Fall, Catskill Mountains,” and “View of Fort Putnam” were displayed in the window of William Coleman’s book store in New York. This exhibition became a turning point in the young artist’s career….