Thomas Cole (British-born American artist) 1801 - 1848
The Arch of Nero, 1846
oil on canvas
60 x 48 in.
The Newark Museum, Newark, United States of America
Cole may have made this painting because scenes of shepherds in Roman ruins were popular with American and British tourists who wanted picturesque souvenirs. The Arch of Nero may contain warnings about America. Cole wanted this country to remain an agrarian society and may have used the ruins of the Roman Empire as a symbol for what happens to a country when it is expansionist, consumed by materialism and falls out of harmony with nature. Cole went to Italy twice, in 1832 and again in 1842, and each time he painted the Arch of Nero, part of the Claudian aqueduct, located just south of Tivoli.
* * *
Thomas Cole was an English-born American artist. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century. Cole's Hudson River School, as well as his own work, was known for its realistic and detailed portrayal of American landscape and wilderness, which feature themes of romanticism and naturalism.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario