Cole, Thomas (1801-1848), was a leader of the first group of American landscape painters. Cole helped develop a distinctly American style of landscape painting. He painted dramatic, panoramic scenes of the American wilderness in a romantic way.
Cole first gained fame in 1825 for his scenes along the Hudson River Valley in New York. His paintings stimulated other artists of his time to paint American landscapes. This group became known as the Hudson River School. Some of Cole’s paintings illustrate symbolic stories with moral themes. These works include the five canvases of The Course of Empire (1836) and the four works that are entitled The Voyage of Life (1840).
Cole was born on Feb. 1, 1801, in Lancashire, England. He and his family moved to the United States in 1818. Cole studied painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1823 to 1825. He died on Feb. 11, 1848.
