Although born in England, Thomas Cole is considered an American artist, the reason being that he emigrated for the US when he was eighteen years old and "the new world" gave him nature, the kind that Europe lost. His works, even though are described as landscapes, deal with humanity. Using an incredible talent of creating images of nature, he represents the ups and downs that mark our civilization.
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| Expulsion from the Garden of Eden; oil on canvas; 1828; 101x138; MFA, Boston Here you can clearly see his approach, Adam and Eve are more like two lines of color, the drama of the event being transmitted to us through the use of nature, light, and so on. Eden is shown as a true paradise while the exterior (on the left) is darkened. A light shines out through what seems to be a portal, the light being an element that stands to replace the traditional angel. What awaits humanity is a great deal of suffering, suggested to us by the two wild animals that can be seen on in the lower left. Volcanoes erupt in the background and the wind is blowing, it too driving out the first humans. |
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| The Expulsion, Moon and Firelight, a painting also dating from 1828, is considered to be a "landscape" version of Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. |
2 comments:
superb, thank you
Superb, Thanks, great info.
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