Thomas Cole
Definition
Thomas Cole was an English-born American painter known for his landscape and history paintings. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School—an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century.
Analogy
Consider Thomas Cole as the Bob Ross (famous TV artist) during his era but with more focus on landscapes depicting America’s wilderness and its untamed beauty rather than happy little trees.
Related terms
Hudson River School: An art movement led by a group of landscape painters whose aesthetic vision was influenced by romanticism; they painted scenic views along Hudson River Valley including Catskill, Adirondack, and White Mountains.
Luminism: An American landscape painting style of the 1850s – 1870s, characterized by effects of light in landscapes through aerial perspective and concealing visible brushstrokes. Luminist landscapes emphasize tranquility and often depict calm, reflective water and a soft pastel-like sky.
Romanticism: A movement in the arts and literature that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing inspiration, subjectivity, and the primacy of the individual. Romantic artists like Cole emphasized emotion over reason.
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