Thomas Cole, English native who would later move to the Catskills of Upstate New York was a romantic painter known for his landscape and intricate history pieces. However, his series of five paintings entitled, The Course of Empire, was created by Cole from 1833-1836 as a “higher style of landscape” to reflect his own ideas of America’s idealized version of the past when many at the time believed pastoralism was the ideal phase of human societies. The individual pieces each depict a single valley transform from an untouched, natural state into a rich and thriving civilization, all for it to be completely destroyed by the fifth painting. Discover the historical Easter eggs hidden throughout each piece, enjoy a singular narrative of mankind’s cyclical relationship with the natural world around us, and our inevitable return to a state of wildlife. What changes can you spot, and what remains the same throughout?
A view of untouched nature, The Savage State shows us a valley rich in trees and wildlife that represents the beginning of mankind’s journey in pursuit of life. Viewers can see figures clothed in animal skins, hunting for their next meal in packs, some critics believing this to be the first nods towards organized civilizations being created. In the background, we can see the stormy skies surround a tall cliff with a teetering rock balancing atop it, as though to foreshadow times to come.
The valley is now cleared, an ancient Greek-like monument has been erected in the background and viewers can now observe figures in a partly cultivated village. In The Pastoral Stage groups of villagers can be seen engaging in lots of modern activities from farming, to dancing in the pastures to the right, some critics even believe the “Dorian”-Esque building represents the beginnings of worshipping local deities and Gods. This stage in the cycle of man vs. nature was described by Cole as being “[…] a few days the most celestial[…]” to show that this early time in a society, just like in America, was free for mankind to explore the pleasures that nature was abundant of.
The Consummation of Empire
A lush and elite society has overtaken the once green valley, the bay now running freely through the city to make sea transport more accessible, allowing a free market to build an economy. This now grand city touts’ great feats of architecture, larger-than-life statues dedicated to the Gods and Goddesses that they worship, and is abundant in lush fountains, marbled buildings, and bustling streets. The splendor of modern technology and prosperity is truly shown in this third painting, showing an almost Utopia-like city in the clouds.
War rages in this fourth piece, chaos has overtaken the once beautiful metropolis and now destroys mankind’s peaceful way of living. The once glimmering city shows the viewer towers falling, the monuments of a civilized society burning to the ground as war has finally overtaken the scene. This vicious state of destruction in Cole’s series represents the ultimate battle of balance between light and dark, peace and war, and of course man and nature.
By the end of Cole’s cyclical series, we as the viewers once again can see the valley, abandoned ruins from the fallen city are now overgrown with flora and fauna. Being the only scene without humans, Desolation shows how nature returns all environments to its original form, whether that’s through natural or man-made events. Now that civilization has fallen, a calmness has been brought back into the valley and is reestablished as the key survivor, beating music, art, language, architecture, etc., confirming Cole’s ideas surrounding pressing topics in American politics.
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