Part 1 – Thomas Cole and the Hudson River School
Like any good hike or visit to a favorite park, landscape paintings open up
the vast world of nature. But more than a pretty picture, Thomas Cole’s
paintings are coded with a plea for preserving wilderness while growing a
country that coexists in harmony with the land. Influential today as well
as 200 years ago, this 19th-century American painter became our first
conservationist. He also recognized how important the vast expanses of land
were for shaping American identity. His followers, forming the Hudson River
School of landscape art, built on Cole’s legacy and used their works for
political persuasion. In this interactive talk, we’ll dig beyond the
surface and take a slow look at paintings that tell complex, often coded
stories of national as well as personal choice. You will leave refreshed,
with renewed vigor for our natural world and all its meaning.
Rena’s greatest passion is making art accessible, invigorating, insightful,
and fun. She has taught art history at NYU’s School for Professional
Studies and Southern Connecticut State University. Rena provides talks for
New York Adventure Club and New York Public Library, as well as many
community organizations. She conducts lively, interactive tours of museum
collections, now via Zoom. Just for fun, she has created Artventures!®
Game–a cheeky party game on the adventures of art and art history.