Analysis Of The Clove By Thomas Cole Catskills

In the year 1825, America was still a new nation that was just forming its own unique identity and traditions. But when it came to the subject of art, Thomas Cole is a name that will forever play a large role in the history of American art. Cole had invented a new style of art, the Hudson River School, which Americans had the right to call their own. This American art movement started in Catskill, New York, Which is where Cole’s beautiful painting The Clove, Catskills was created. This painting by Cole provides its own story to its viewers visually with its color, line and composition. This work of art was significant to the time it was created in and made an impact on other artists from that time on. Thomas Cole proved himself to be a true

Visually this painting brings its viewers in with its brilliant colors, the scene of autumn in this landscape provides a beautiful arrangement of warm and cool colors. The line work throughout the piece describes a story on its own, especially within the branches on the trees, such as the one located in the bottom right on the composition. Cole was known for indicating natural cycles of growth and decay in his compositions, this can be seen in this work in the dead and broken tree on the edge of the canvas. The diagonal lines throughout the trees, hilltops and rocks seem to guide the eye to the top of the composition. Thomas Cole was known for using storm clouds to heighten drama in his art, The Clove, Catskills was a great example of this technique. The black storm clouds in the top background, contrasted with the bright sky in the distance, represent the emotions associated with viewing a sublime scene. The sky simultaneously speaks of fear and hope, danger and

The significance of Cole’s The Clove, Catskills in the early nineteenth century was the beauty of nature being disrupted by industries. The Catskill Mountains and Kaaterskill Clove were some of Cole’s favorite places to go and create art work. At this time period, they were centers for the international leather trade. The tanning industries had brought an extensive amount of deforestation to the areas in Thomas Coles lifetime. Even though this was negative, it had given artists and tourists access to one of the best vistas in the whole area. The Clove, Catskills and Coles other landscape paintings at the time artistically had impact, specifically in his work with color and the sublime. The colors Cole had used in paintings such as The Clove, Catskills were so accurate and true while also playing off his romantic imagination to present the sublime. The artistic elements in the composition of this painting such as bare branches and storm clouds were used by Cole as elements of the sublime. These elements were usually associated with the power of nature over human civilization. This piece of art was created in the Romantic period, which was when the “sublime” was widely used in American landscape art. Thomas Cole’s The Clove, Catskills was significant in the time it was created with its artistic, social and cultural context, making Cole and