Why Was Thomas Cole Called The Sublime

“Thomas Cole captured the beauty of both the dangerous unpredictability of untouched wilderness, and the peaceful serenity of land subdued by man. In art, the former, the terrible beauty and power of nature, is called the sublime.” Born in 1801, Thomas Cole was an American Romantic Period movement leader and head of “The Hudson River School” which “captured history for America”. This artist was born in a time when advancements and new shifts were made in the field of art. Luckily, paint was made affordable because of preferences in chemistry and in 1840, the convenience of the rich and brilliant paint in collapsible tubes was invented. As the time goes by, fashions rise and fall, during Cole’s time, it was fashionable to paint outdoors or at least sketch the details outside and complete the details indoors. In one of Cole’s

Considering the time period, and the symbolic tendencies of the artist, Cole is possibly making a “statement in favor of westward expansion” but also displaying the beauty of a wilderness uncultivated, untouched, and untamed. Cole had an interest in the flood and geological evidence for it; therefore, many people believe that the scars on the hill in the distance say either Noah or Shaddai. The Oxbow is a beautiful artwork that is worth comparing to another stunning piece titled The Rocky Mountain Lander’s Peak, painted in 1863 by Albert Bierstadt. Some things they have in common are as follows: they are both art work created in the 1800s, oil on canvas, a type of landscape featuring America, exhibits the glorious creation of both nature (each including water features, land, trees and a captivating sky) and human beings, displays the existence of an Intelligent Designer, and demonstrates brilliant and vibrant colors as well as smooth textures. Although the paintings are both incredible landscapes, there are some differences worth