Thomas Cole's Essay On American Scenery: Theodore D. White

Theodore D. Rey Professor Stetler Art 188C 5 April 2024 RLR 3 In his "Essay on American Scenery", Thomas Cole expresses his deep admiration of the natural beauty of the American landscape. He believes that Americans are unappreciative of the wonders that surround them, continually depicting and lauding the more familiar landscapes of Europe without consideration. He acknowledges the history and beauty of Europe but states that the scenery of America is unparalleled and possesses a unique grandeur. Cole emphasizes the importance of preserving, appreciating, and depicting the country's natural wonders, arguing that they evoke a sense of awe and sublimity in observers. In his argument that American landscapes hold natural wonders surpassing those

The grandiose nature of El Capitan, Bridalveil Falls, Cathedral Rocks, and Half Dome create the sense of awe and sublimity that Cole argues can only be found within this country. Similarly, the painting White Mountain Landscape by George W. White takes this sense of awe and depicts it in a way that has a drastically different effect on the viewer. This painting features the additional visual perspective of two human figures standing in front of the vastness of a western mountain range, creating a sense of awe, intimidation, and astonishment in the viewer. In his philosophical inquiry into the sublime from 1757, Edmund Burke states that “great extreme of dimension is sublime.” and “astonishment. is the effect of the sublime in its highest degree”. With this quote in mind, this painting conveys a tangible sense of the sublime as the figures peer off into an infinitely large, seeming ocean of tree-covered mountains. This, Cole argues, is what makes the American landscape so unique; the vastness of the country has yet to be conquered by man, creating a unique beauty and feeling of

The painting, on the other hand, better conveys the feeling of being faced with the vastness of the American landscape because of its ability to exaggerate and embellish certain aspects of reality. The figures placed in the painting are miniscule in comparison to the mountains surrounding them. Additionally, they are very vaguely depicted in comparison to the mountains, exemplifying the feeling of being a temporary and unimportant human in the grand scheme of nature. Cole’s argument that the beauty of the American landscape is important to our identity as a nation certainly stands true today. America is widely hailed as possessing unparalleled natural beauty, with numerous depictions of our landscapes in famous art, music, and culture. The depictions of Yosemite and the white mountain landscape perfectly encapsulate the seemingly limitless wonder found across the untouched outdoors. It is because of this significance Cole places such emphasis on the importance of protecting