Painter Thomas Cole and his “Voyage of Life Series”

A Glimpse into Thomas Cole and the Voyage of Life Series

Thomas Cole was born on February 1, 1801 in Lancashire England. In 1826 he settled in the Catskills, New York. Thomas Cole was an artist who painted amazing landscape portraits, and was also known as the founder of the Hudson River School. The Hudson River School, 1825-1870, was composed of a group of American artists who painted landscape themes. A few examples of his paintings are The Oxbow, Schroon Lake, Autumn in Catskills, Interior of the Coliseum Rome, and The Voyage of Life Series. The following is a formal analysis of the Voyage of Life Series.

The first portrait in the series is entitled “The Voyage of Life Childhood (1842). In this portrait Thomas Cole painted a child or an infant in a golden boat with an angel by his side. The angel looks to be guiding the boat and the baby. Surrounding the angel there is a yellow glow, this maybe the goodness of the angel shining through. Both the angel and the baby are flowing down the river outside of a dark cold cave. The river is calm and peaceful and the baby looks happy and healthy. The surroundings look bright and beautiful with the lush green grass and the flowers look bright, vibrant, and colorful. The season looks to be early spring.

Subsequently another portrait in the series is “The Voyage of Life Youth (1842). In this portrait the young man is alone although this time he is guiding the boat. The angel is not far from him and is standing on the shore looking at the youth. The youth pays no attention to the angel. Instead the youth looks excited while staring and heading towards a faint castle in the sky. He believes that life is wonderful and that he has control over everything. The landscape looks so serene with the calm flowing water and the lush green landscape. Although what the boy does not realize is that he is heading towards some rough waters. The season looks to be summertime with the lightness of the portrait.

The next portrait in the series is “The Voyage of Life Manhood (1840). In this portrait the man is alone inside of the boat. The man and the boat are headed for turbulent waters with the water flowing downwards towards rocks and fast flowing water. He looks to be praying for help or guidance from God. The man has nothing to guide his boat and thus no control of his life or destiny. Above him peeking from the darkness in the clouds is the angel surrounded by brightness. This portrait is darker, with the man being surrounded by the darkness, from the last and looks to be less joyful in nature. The season is autumn. The leaves have changed colors and are red, orange and yellow. The trees are all gnarled or broken. Outside of the darkness there is a bright and beautiful sky at sunset.

The last in the series is “The Voyage of Life Old Age (1842). In this series the adult male has grown into an old man sitting inside of the boat, and is again being lead by the angel. The waters have turned calm and peaceful. The surrounding area is shrouded in darkness except for the break in the clouds that is full of bright light that beams down to the man and the water. The area is sparse except for the rocks surrounding the water. The figure of the angel that was on the front of the boat in the last two series is gone. The man has finally survived the struggles of life and faith and is now going home.

Each of these painting is about the stages of a man from the start of life in infancy to the death of the man in old age. Throughout his life he has an angel to watch over him, which he only notices to an extent in infancy and old age. In his youth the man is excited and to drawn to the castle and in manhood he does not notice the angel because of the trials and tribulation in his life. Both in infancy and old age he is dependent on others to help guide him down the path or the river that symbolizes the stages in his life. Each of the different painting also symbolize the different seasons spring, summer, fall and the last winter. As well in the different painting the man is headed in different directions. In The Voyage of Life Childhood the boat is painted from left to right and is heading down the river. In The Voyage of Life Youth the boat is painted from right to left and is heading up the stream. In The Voyage of Life Manhood the boat is again painted left to right and heading down the stream to the turbulent water. The last in the series is The Voyage of Life Old Age and the boat is painted from right to left and is heading up the stream towards the heavens. The series as a whole has to deal with religion and man’s faith through the trials in his life.

Works Cited Page

1. Cole, Thomas.” Encyclopedia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 25 Oct. 2006 http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9024725>.