"The Course of Empire:Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School Landscape Tradition"
2003-08-23 until 2003-11-30
New York State Museum
New York, MY, USA United States of America

The New-York Historical Society is pleased to announce that the exhibition The Course of Empire: Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School Landscape Tradition, featuring selections from the New-York Historical Society, will open at the New York State Museum on August 23, 2003. The exhibition showcases the depth and richness of the New-York Historical Society's collection of paintings and works on paper by renowned artists of the Hudson River School of landscape painting.

Thomas Cole, long considered the founder of the Hudson River School and the father of 19th century American landscape as a whole, takes center stage in this exhibition with his seminal five-painting series, The Course of Empire. Commissioned by the pioneering American art collector, Luman Reed, the series was a culminating achievement in the artist's career, embodying ideas and approaches to landscape that profoundly influenced scores of other Hudson River School artists, many of whom are featured in the exhibition.

The exhibition, sponsored by the New York State Museum Institute and HSBC, features 40 paintings and 11 other works on paper, including engravings and lithographs. Artists represented include several of Cole's devoted followers and friends, most notably Frederick Edwin Church, Asher Brown Durand, Jasper Francis Cropsey, John Frederick Kensett, and Martin Johnson Heade.

The museum is planning several fall programs in conjunction with The Course of Empire exhibition. On Saturday, September 20th a discussion on the works in the exhibition will be led by the curator, Lee Vedder, a Luce curatorial fellow at the New-York Historical Society. This will be preceded by a lecture and slide show on the Hudson River School at 1 p.m.

Related Links:

Indepth Arts Resources for the State of

Other Important Exhibitions in United States