ManhoodThe penultimate painting in the series, The Voyage of Life: Manhood, shows the man grown, but instead of ambitions and hopes, he is faced with the realities of life. This painting conveys gothic feelings of fear and despair and combines those with a craggy, dark, and dangerous landscape. The man doesn't know that the angel still watches, but prays to god hoping she will still protect him.
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Study Questions
- What emotions does Cole draw on in this series? Cole draws most on feelings of wonder, hope, fear, and awe in the series.
- In what context does the prevalence of faith in the series have significance? Cole painted this during the Second Great Awakening, a religious revival in the United States, which made the piece popular in religious communities.
- How is romanticism most represented in the series? Romanticist themes are best represented in Cole's depiction of nature in the series as well as it's power to shape the man's destiny.
- How does Cole's exposure to America in the 1800's most reveal itself in the series? Cole's landscapes have many characteristics that are similar to those of the American West, showing the influence it had upon his work.
- How do faith and nature combine in the series? Cole sought to send the message that nature was a work of god and that the industrial creations of man cannot compare to those of god.
Citations
Cole, Thomas. The Voyage of Life. 1842. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. Web. 2 Dec. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voyage_of_Life>.