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National Museum of American Art
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Butler

Cole and his family moved to the U.S. from England when he was 17. They settled first in Philadelphia where he worked with a wood engraver. His father's dry goods business failed and the family moved to Steubenville, Ohio, but Thomas stayed in Philadelphia. Eventually, though, he walked the 300 miles across the mountains to join the family in their wallpaper factory and "seminary for young ladies."

He taught drawing and designed wallpaper until both ventures failed.

A peddler passed through painting portraits and selling books with illustrations of great works of art. This inspired Cole to pack his materials into a sack and set out as a traveling artist. His first set-back was when he fell through the ice and almost drowned. The second was when he arrived at the first town and discovered that a German painter had already been there.

Cole painted a portrait of a saddle maker and was paid with a saddle. This would have been great if he would have had a horse. A militia officer paid with a silver watch.

The people of the town began to discuss which was the better painter. Cole seemed to have won when he was hired to correct a portrait done by the German. (He was paid one dollar.) But, when he went to pay his bills before leaving town, he found that he had to part with everything he had. including the dollar. The German had been smart enough to demand room and board as part of his payment.

Cole left town penniless and with little paint and canvas. He walked 100 miles to Zanesville, where he found the German painter already there. Each looked at the other's work. The German made a proposal: "If you will say nothing about my picture, I will say nothing about yours." Cole looked at his own work and agreed. The German decided he could make more money preaching. Cole realized that he greatly disliked painting people. So he started wondering in the Hudson River valley. His resulting paintings included those discovered by Trumbull (1825). This marked the beginning of the Hudson River School.

Eleven years after leaving England, Cole returned (age 28) as one of the leading painters in America. His paintings were accepted by the Royal Academy, but they were "skied" (placed along the ceiling to leave room for other works).

"I cannot hut think that I have done more than all the English painters... The standard by which I form my judgment is beautiful nature." - Cole

Cole eventually went to Paris but stayed only two weeks before moving to Italy for a year and a half.

Cole liked to produce series such as The Course of Empire:
1) savage state - easy
2) pastoral scene - easy
3) full civilization (noble city) - hard
4) decline (destruction) - hard
5) return to nature (sunset with ruins)

He was later depressed to the point of questioning, "I am forgotten by the great world, if I ever was known."

Cole died when he was 47.

Coal comes from nature.