Thomas Cole, The Voyage of Life

Thomas Cole, The Voyage of Life (Childhood, Youth, Manhood, Old Age), 1842, oil on canvas, Childhood 134.3 x 195.3 cm; Youth 134.3 x 194.9 cm; Manhood 134.3 x 202.6 cm; Old Age 133.4 x 196.2 cm, original commission by Samuel Ward dates to 1839-40; those canvases are now in the Munson-Williams-Proctor-Arts-Institute in Utica, NY; the set at the National Gallery of Art is a copy made by the artist in Europe after tracings of the original so that Cole could publically display the paintings and sell engravings from the set (National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.)
speakers: Dr. Bryan Zygmont and Dr. Steven Zucker

[@i_am_a_music_maker5212]

I personally believe this is one of the greatest artworks of all time

[@Quaristice]

I have always loved those paintings, but hadn’t thought about them seriously in many years. Now in the autumn of my life, I found this video surprisingly moving. Thank you.

[@ttaylor1808]

Totally agree Saw them in person 48 years ago, and they struck me as quaint Americana. Now as a person in the 4th boat, the painting resonates quite clearly

[@Sasha0927]

Thomas Cole ❤ I was stoked to see this notification last night. I'd get very lost in this octagonal room, moving from scene to scene, appreciating the detailed beauty while trying to discern Cole's moral message by landscape. Good for him going against the status quo and believing for something different! I'm strongly empathetic to Manhood - couldn't have been more accurate, lol. Even the angel ditched, smh. It's wonderful this series has remained together so it can be appreciated (and empathized with) to this day.

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Ditched by the angel made me laugh.

[@Sasha0927]

@@smarthistoryvideos Yeah, you ain't getting touched by this angel - they got the heck outta there! 🤣

[@Blaze92NL]

Absolutely brilliant!

[@0x_hackerfren]

Thomas Cole is one of my favorites! I love this channel. Watch you guys everyday for a couple months now and I have learned so much. Such a nice change of pace from looking at and thinking about code all day

[@smarthistoryvideos]

What a wonderful note to read, thank you, and please stay in touch.

[@0x_hackerfren]

@smarthistoryvideos thank YOU for your hard work! Keep making videos, I will do the easy part and keep watching them :)

[@noahkidd3359]

Yet another fantastic video!! Thank you!!

[@a-8007]

Beautiful. When I saw "sublime", I thought of Casper David Friedrich.

[@christianfrommuslim]

Thank you for returning to Western art. This series of Cole's is beautiful and meaningful. Thank you for explaining the "blasted tree." I had seen one in a friend's art collection from the era. The blasted tree is in the foreground by a bend in the Hudson River. It felt symbolic somehow, but it was a guess. Now I know that blasted trees and rivers do have significance. The tree and river painting I refer to has sunrise/sunset around the corner, which would seem to symbolize hope.

[@magicknight13]

Awesome!!! Thank you so much! My teacher had just brought up these paintings recently, how great that there's now a Smarthistory analysis for it 😄😄

[@ChristopherBonis]

Already I expressed my gratitude for this week’s videos-and then to top it off, Smarthistory drops this brilliant analysis of my absolute favourite painter. Thank you for these recent outstanding uploads!

[@gabialbrecht1]

Witty & passionate

[@orsino88]

I bought a set of prints of these paintings, then even more unfashionable than they are now, at the National Gallery when I was a child. Cole is rich and almost too narrative and emphatic-but it’s impossible to shake him off altogether.

[@2002yannick1]

never a dull video here, great job!

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Thank you!

[@nyarlantothep9555]

exceptional presentation

[@ShellyColours2]

Loved this vid....thank you.

[@juanpdp11]

Great content, great voices and narrative, context. Thank you Smarthistory!

[@saraswati7263]

Loved this video. Incredible paintings

[@josephmessner5312]

Well narrated !

[@smarthistoryvideos]

Thank you.

[@StarCrusher.]

Interesting how, based on childhood mortality back then, childhood should have been just as stormy waters as manhood. But that's probably not what the intention here is.