2. Thomas Cole - (February 1, 1801 – February
11, 1848). He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River
School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-
19th century.
3. Early life and education
He was born
in Bolton, Lancashire, Englan
d, in 1801. In 1818 his family
emigrated to the United
States, settling
in Steubenville, Ohio, where
Cole learned the rudiments of
his profession from a
wandering portrait painter
named Stein.
Moving to Pittsburgh in 1823
and then to Philadelphia in
1824, where he drew from
casts at the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts, he
rejoined his parents and
sister in New York City early
in 1825.
4. Personal life
After 1827 Cole maintained a studio at the farm called Cedar
Grove in the town of Catskill, New York. He painted a
significant portion of his work in this studio.
In 1836 he married Maria Bartow of Catskill, a niece of the
owner, and became a year-round resident. Thomas and Maria
had five children:
Theodore Alexander Cole, born January 1, 1838;
Mary Bartow Cole, born September 23, 1839;
EmilyCole, born August 27, 1843;
Elizabeth Cole, born April 5, 1847 (died in infancy);
Thomas Cole, Jr., born September 16, 1848.
5. Architecture work
Cole dabbled in architecture, a not uncommon
practice at the time when the profession was not so
codified. Cole was an entrant in the design
competition held in 1838 to create the Ohio
Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
6. Graphic Work
Thomas Cole is best known for his work as an
American landscape artist.
In 1842, Cole embarked on a Grand Tour of Europe in an effort
to study in the style of the Old Masters and to paint its
scenery.
