I loved studying Thomas Cole. His purpose was similar to Casper Friedrich. He painted a series Voyage of Life and he tried to portray the destiny of mankind to show the spiritual side of man. Man has many courses in life on his journey to the Ocean of Eternity. He felt he need to stress that gifted people had to glorify God and not himself or man is forever crawl in the selfish spirits of the world.
The first painting shows a child coming out of a cave which symbolizes the past of our earthly origin. The rosy light of the morning and the flowers symbolize the joy of childhood. The close, limited banks symbolize the narrow experience of childhood. the Egyptian lotus symbolizes the human life.
The second painting is of a youth. The luscious scenery symbolizes the beauty of a youth's imagination . The cloudlike palace symbolizes the dreams of the youth, and the steam symbolizes his career path. The steam around the corner on the far right shows it to be rocky and choppy which the youth cannot see-he only sees the castle.
The third painting shows a man looking upward symbolizes his dependency on a Superior power. The darkness of the sky and split trees from the storm and the light shining through the sky symbolizes the spiritual meaning of life- there is Light in this dark world. The ocean shows his journey is close to the end
The last painting is of a old aged man. the empty boat shows that this is the end of his life. The angel symbolizes heaven. The landscape being gone and the figurehead and hourglass is missing from the boat symbolizes that his earthly life is over. The light shows the glimses of immortal life.
The journey of life.......................
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