Thomas Cole: Destruction (The Course of the Empire Series)

The Course of the Empire - Destruction (Oil, 1836)

This is the fourth in Thomas Cole's "Course of the Empire" series. (Be sure to start at the first painting so that you can see how the sun rises and moves through the sky. The mountain in the background remains throughout, but in the foreground, there are considerable changes.)

Cole chose something from Byron to help describe this work:

There is the moral of all human tales;
'This but the same reheasal of the past

First Freedom, and then Glory: when that fails
Wealth, vice, corruption

For a more detailed description of all four paintings, click on the "Last" link below:

Here are the links to each of the paintings: First Painting - Second - Third - Last