In the late 1820s the young Thomas Cole quickly built a successful career as a painter of Hudson River landscapes, but he harbored ambitions of turning the landscape form to a larger purpose. As early as 1827 he conceived a cycle of paintings that would illustrate the rise and fall of a civilization, and a few years later he began sketching and developing his ideas. The artist attempted unsuccessfully to persuade Robert Gilmor, a Baltimore patron, to commission the series, and in 1833 he secured a commission from New York merchant Luman Reed to paint a cycle of five paintings for the art gallery in his home.

In the resulting series, The Course of Empire, Cole presented a cyclical view of history in which a civilization appears, matures, and collapses. The artist's distinctly pessimistic vision differed from that of many of his peers; in the early years of the United States' history, its future was considered limitless. Cole drew from a number of literary sources, such as Gibbon's The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and Byron's epic Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. The motto he attached to the series was taken from Byron's popular poem: "Le cours de l'empire la consommation de l'Empire 1836" The artist finally settled on a title in 1835, taken from Bishop George Berkeley's 1729 poem, "Verses on the Prospect of Planting Arts and Learning in America," which begins "Westward the Course of Empire takes its way." Cole also drew upon paintings he had seen on his recent trip to Europe (1829-32), including the work of J.M.W. Turner and Claude Lorrain. The five paintings follow a dramatic narrative arc, anchored by the imperturbable mountain in the background, and expounded with rich and complex symbolic systems that illustrate this imaginary world's history, including the course of the sun across the sky, the changing relation of man to nature, the role of animals, the arts, and the military, and even the placement and character of his own signature. Luman Reed, Cole's generous patron, did not live to see the completion of the series. He died in June of 1836, but Reed's family encouraged Cole to complete the work.

The series was exhibited to great acclaim in New York later that year. The Course of Empire, along with the rest of Reed's collection, became the core of the New-York Gallery of the Fine Arts. That group of works was donated to the New-York Historical Society in 1858, forming the foundation of its acclaimed collection of American landscape painting. Cole intended this third painting as the visual climax of the series, choosing a slightly larger canvas and taking considerable time and pains with the composition. He planned to depict "a great city girding the bay".

Why not grace your home with this reproduced masterpiece? It is sure to bring many admirers!

Chaque tableau est peint pour vous à la main

Chaque peinture est à 100 % peinte à la main par nos artistes expérimentés. Nous soutenons notre qualité supérieure.

• 

  Peint à la main

  Nos peintures sont 100 % peintes à la main par des artistes experts avec peinture à l'huile sur une véritable toile. Nous n’utilisons jamais la technologie numérique ou les coupes des coins ronds.

  

  Travaux de bonne brosse

  Nos artistes se concentrent sur chaque détail de l'oeuvre afin d'exécuter la manière la plus fidèle et de donner à chaque peinture un charme unique.

• 

  Cadre délicat

  Mis à part les peintures non encadrées, nos peintures sont tendues sur des cadres en bois de haute qualité. Nos cadres sont beaux, forts et durables.

  

  Prêt à accrocher

  Mis à part les peintures non encadrées, nos peintures sont prêtes à raccrocher dès le déballage. Pour la toile tendue : les bords sont finis et recouverts de toile.

Matériaux finement sélectionnés

Une plus belle peinture à l'huile, couleurs vives et jamais fanée

Epingles de bande Canada, matériaux durs, en forme à haute température et en douceur polie

Toile de lin professionnel, manteau spécial et qualité authentique

Veuillez noter que les paramètres de votre ordinateur peuvent causer de légères différences de couleurs entre votre peinture et la photo du produit affiché.

Choisir Artisoo, un choix judicieux

Prix compétitifs

Nous offrons toujours les prix les plus bas possible tout en ne compromettant jamais sur la qualité.

Achats en ligne sans souci

Livraison gratuite, impôt gratuit, paiement sécurisé et 90 jours garantie de remboursement, tous vous rend 100 % satisfaits.