In all the early
American painting the British influence may be traced, with sometimes
an inclination to follow Italy in large compositions.
THE MIDDLE PERIOD in American art dates from 1825 to about 1878. During
that time, something distinctly American began to appear in the
landscape work of Doughty (1793-1856) and Thomas Cole (1801-1848). Both
men were substantially self-taught, though Cole received some
instruction from a portrait-painter named Stein. Cole during his life
was famous for his Hudson River landscapes, and for two series of
pictures called The Voyage of Life and The Course of Empire. The latter
were really epic poems upon canvas, done with much blare of color and
literary explanation in the title. His best work was in pure landscape,
which he pictured with considerable accuracy in drawing, though it was
faulty in lighting and gaudy in coloring. Brilliant autumn scenes were
his favorite subjects. His work had the merit of originality and,
moreover, it must be remembered that Cole was one of the beginners in
American landscape art.
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