Thomas Cole's Painting: "The Architect's Dream"

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the painting "The Architect's Dream" by American artist, Thomas Cole, masters historical perspective by combining structures from several epochs--Egypt, Greece, Rome and Europe--within the confines of a simple painting, thus depicting the evolution of architecture. The author points out that Cole, who was the founder of the Hudson River School, a group of artists that followed the style of American romanticism and realism, filled the landscape of this painting, accurately and in detail, with human structures of each age. The paper concludes that this piece of art from the romantic times is not so much a history lesson as it is a story of human ingenuity and spirit, which praises man's triumphs throughout the ages by giving tribute to the beauty of history's great accomplishments that still inspire humankind today.

From the Paper:

""The Architect's Dream" is a large painting, about 8 feet long by 6 feet tall. Just looking at the different buildings throughout the eons is very enthralling. And so, I stood in front of this painting for at least ten minutes just taking in the sheer power of it. I imagined what it would look like IF someone actually built a city like the one Thomas Cole painted. I could see the romanticism in the expression on the Architect's face as he lays relaxed and wondering about his strewn books. I put myself in his position and tried to imagine looking upon such a dream city, but in reality."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Cedar Grove, The Thomas Cole National Historic Site. 2004.http://www.thomascole.org/learn_biography.htm
• Wikipedia. March 28, 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cole>,
• Wikipedia. March 28, 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_River_School>
• The Literature Page. 2005. <www.literaturepage.com>

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