Thomas Cole
A Wild Scene
1830-1831
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Thomas Cole
A Wild Scene
1830-1831
Physical Qualities
Oil on canvas, 51 1/16 x 76 9/16 in. (129.7 x 194.5 x 3.5 cm)
Credit Line
Purchase with exchange funds from Leonce Rabillon Bequest Fund; and Purchase Fund
Object Number
1958.15
Painted in Florence, Italy, Thomas Cole’s A Wild Scene is the precursor to an ambitious project involving five similarly sized canvases. Together they depicted the metaphoric rise and fall of a mythic city. Entitled The Course of Empire, the series was meant to illustrate what the artist called “the mutation of earthly things.” At the time, many Americans feared that the pastoral prosperity of early 19th-century America would give way to economic and political greed, followed by inevitable decay.
The first of Cole’s five canvases (all now in the New-York Historical Society) draws on the composition of A Wild Scene. Native Americans—considered by 18th-century Europeans to be living in a natural state free from the corrupting influences of Western civilization—hunt a deer in the dim dawn light of an imagined valley. Cole hoped that the entire project would attract the support of Baltimore patron Robert Gilmor, Jr., but Gilmor merely accepted this painting in exchange for funds already advanced to Cole for travel. Asserting that “the frame is the soul of the painting,” Cole regularly chose what he called “massy” frames covered with small ornament. A Wild Scene is now housed in a molding replicating a design Cole favored. The rich, low-relief patterning is made of the same moldable composition material that revolutionized framemaking in Cole’s day, eliminating labor-intensive hand carving seen on earlier frames nearby.
Robert Gilmor, Jr., Baltimore, to his nephew, William Gilmor, Baltimore, by 1848; Gilmor sale, 1863; puchased by Edmund Law Rogers, Baltimore, Clarence Reeder, Baltimore; to his sister, Mabel Reeder, Baltimore; Sam W. Pattison & Co., Inc., Auctioneers, Baltimore.
Tempests and Romantic Visionaries: Images of Storms in European and American Art, 1750-1950
America! Storie di pittura dal Nuovo Mondo
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American Wing Rotations 2020
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'New York Mirror,' vol. 9, 1832, p. 391 Dunlap, vol. 3, p. 154.
'The Crayon,' July 11, 1855, pp. 25-26.
"Catalogue of the Very Valuable and Original Oil Paintings," "Being a Portion of the Collection of the Late Robert Gilmor," F.W. Bennett & Co., Baltimore, Nov. 10, 1863, no. 13 (as Cole, First Age of Man; annotated as sold to 'Rogers')
Henry T. Tuckerman, 'Book of the Artists, American Artist Life,' New York, 1867, pp. 230, 631.
Louis Legrand Noble, 'The Life and Works of Thomas Cole,' (1853), Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1964, pp. 101, 103.
Kay Silberfeld, 'The Lost Painting of Thomas Cole,' 'Museum News,' March 1965, pp. 31-38, ill.
Cherrill Anson, 'A $500 Gamble That Paid Off,' 'The Sunday Sun Magazine,' Baltimore, January 24, 1965, pp. 9-10.
Kent Roberts Greenfield, 'Annual I,' BMA 1966, ill. p. 74.
Lillian B. Miller, 'Patrons and Patriotism: The Encouragement of the Fine Arts in the United States, 1790-1860, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966, ill. following p. 144.
Gertrude Rosenthal, 'The Story of Two Acquisitions,' 'Annual II,' BMA, 1967, pp. 1-4.
Howard S. Merritt, 'A Wild Scene', 'Genesis of a Painting,' 'Annual II,' BMA, 1967, pp. 7-40, 72-73, ill. pp. 6, 8, 26.
Kay Silberfeld, 'Treatment of Cole's Painting A Wild Scene,' 'Annual II,' BMA 1967, pp. 112-115, ill.
'Society, New York Times,' Sunday Book Review Section, Jan. 8, 1967, p. 41, repro.
Ellwood Comly Parry, 'Thomas Cole's 'The Course of Empire,' 'A Study in Serial Imagery,' Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 1970, pp. xviii, 39-44, 47-53, 79-81, 84, 89, 115, 118.
'The Vincent Price Treasury of American Art,' Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful Corporation, 1972, ill. p. 70.
Richard W. Wallace, 'Salvator Rosa in America,' Wellesley, Massachusetts: The Wellesley College Museum, 1979, p. 117, ill. p. 116, fig. 80.
Matthew Baigell, 'Thomas Cole,' New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1981, pp. 44, 50, ill. pl. 10, fig. 45.
Sona K. Johnston, "American Painting 1750-1900 from the Collection of The Baltimore Museum of Art," 1983, pp 35-36, ill p. 35.
Ellwood C. Parry III, 'The Art of Thomas Cole Ambition and Imagination,' Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1988.
William H. Truettner and Alan Wallach, ed., "Thomas Cole: Landscape into History", Yale University Press, 1994, p.90.
Clair, Jean, ed., 'Cosmos: From Romanticism to the Avant-garde.' Montreal, Quebec, Canada: The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 1999. repro. p. 73.
McDaniel, Amy Ellis, Bulletin of the Detroit Institute of Arts: Graphic Arts, "Works on Paper by Thomas Cole in the Detroit Institute of Arts." repro. p. 20.
Baltimore Museum of Art. 'The Baltimore Museum of Art: Celebrating a Museum.' Baltimore: The Baltimore Museum of Art, 2014.
Benskin, Elizabeth, and Suzy Wolffe. 'Teacher's Guide to the American Collection'. Baltimore, MD: Baltimore Museum of Art, 2014, pages 45 and 51.
Louvre éditions, “Une Brève Histoire De L’Avenir: Le Catalogue De L’Exposition,” Hazan, Paris, 2015. P. 120
Kornhauser, Elizabeth Mankin and Tim Barringer. 'Thomas Cole's Journey: Atlantic Crossings.' New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2018.
Kusserow, Karl (editor). 'Object Lessons in Contemporary Art.' Princeton: Princeton University Art Museum, 2023. ill, p. 117.
New York Mirror, vol. 9, 1832, p. 391; Dunlap, vol. 3, p.154.
The Crayon, July 11, 1855, pp. 25-26.
Catalogue of the Very Valuable and Original Oil Paintings, being a Portion of the Collection of the late Robert Gilmor, F. W. Bennett & Co., Baltimore, Nov. 10, 1863, no. 13 (as Cole, First Age of Man; annotated as sold to "Rogers").
Henry T. Tuckerman, Book of the Artists, American Artist Life, New York, 1867, pp. 230, 631.
Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, An exhibition of paintings by Thomas Cole N.A. from the artist's studio, Catskill, New York, 1964, P. 19.
Kay Silberfeld, "The Lost Painting of Thomas Cole," Museum News, Mar. 1965, pp. 31-38, ill.
Kent Roberts Greenfield, Annual 1, BMA, 1966, ill. p. 74.
Louis Legrand Noble, The Life and Works of Thomas Cole (1853), Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1964, pp. 101, 103.
Lillian B. Miller, Patrons and Patriotism: The Encouragement of the Fine Arts in the United States, 1790-1860, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966, ill. following p. 144
Gertrude Rosenthal, "The Story of Two Acquisitions," Annual II, BMA, 1967, pp. 1-4.
Howard S. Merritt, " 'A Wild Scene,' Genesis of a Painting," Annual II, BMA, 1967, pp. 7-40, 72-73, ill. pp. 6, 8, 26.
Kay Silberfeld, "Treatment of Cole's Painting A Wild Scene," Annual II, BMA, 1967, Pp. 112-115, ill.
Ellwood Comly Parry, "Thomas Cole's 'The Course of Empire' A Study in Serial Imagery," Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 1970, pp. xviii, 39-44, 47-53, 79-81, 84, 89, 1 15, 118.
The Vincent Price Treasury of American Art, Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful Corporation, 1972, ill. p. 70.
Richard W. Wallace, Salvator Rosa in America, Wellesley, Massachusetts: The Wellesley College Museum, 1979, P. 117, ill. p. 116, fig. 80.
Matthew Baigell, Thomas Cole, New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1981, pp. 44, 5o, ill. pl. 1o, fig. 45.
See References in Sona K. Johnston, American Paintings 1750-1900, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, 1983, p. 36.
The Crayon, July 11, 1855, pp. 25-26.
Catalogue of the Very Valuable and Original Oil Paintings, being a Portion of the Collection of the late Robert Gilmor, F. W. Bennett & Co., Baltimore, Nov. 10, 1863, no. 13 (as Cole, First Age of Man; annotated as sold to "Rogers").
Henry T. Tuckerman, Book of the Artists, American Artist Life, New York, 1867, pp. 230, 631.
Kennedy Galleries, Inc., New York, An exhibition of paintings by Thomas Cole N.A. from the artist's studio, Catskill, New York, 1964, P. 19.
Kay Silberfeld, "The Lost Painting of Thomas Cole," Museum News, Mar. 1965, pp. 31-38, ill.
Kent Roberts Greenfield, Annual 1, BMA, 1966, ill. p. 74.
Louis Legrand Noble, The Life and Works of Thomas Cole (1853), Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1964, pp. 101, 103.
Lillian B. Miller, Patrons and Patriotism: The Encouragement of the Fine Arts in the United States, 1790-1860, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1966, ill. following p. 144
Gertrude Rosenthal, "The Story of Two Acquisitions," Annual II, BMA, 1967, pp. 1-4.
Howard S. Merritt, " 'A Wild Scene,' Genesis of a Painting," Annual II, BMA, 1967, pp. 7-40, 72-73, ill. pp. 6, 8, 26.
Kay Silberfeld, "Treatment of Cole's Painting A Wild Scene," Annual II, BMA, 1967, Pp. 112-115, ill.
Ellwood Comly Parry, "Thomas Cole's 'The Course of Empire' A Study in Serial Imagery," Ph.D. Dissertation, Yale University, 1970, pp. xviii, 39-44, 47-53, 79-81, 84, 89, 1 15, 118.
The Vincent Price Treasury of American Art, Waukesha, Wisconsin: Country Beautiful Corporation, 1972, ill. p. 70.
Richard W. Wallace, Salvator Rosa in America, Wellesley, Massachusetts: The Wellesley College Museum, 1979, P. 117, ill. p. 116, fig. 80.
Matthew Baigell, Thomas Cole, New York: Watson-Guptill Publications, 1981, pp. 44, 5o, ill. pl. 1o, fig. 45.
See References in Sona K. Johnston, American Paintings 1750-1900, The Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore, 1983, p. 36.
Inscribed: None