Thomas Cole and the Decorative Arts

By Jean Dunbar
Thomas Cole, <i>A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains</i>, 1839. Oil on canvas, 40 -3/16” x 61 -5/16”. (Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art / Andrew W. Mellon Fund)
Thomas Cole, <i>A View of the Mountain Pass Called the Notch of the White Mountains</i>, 1839. Oil on canvas, 40 -3/16” x 61 -5/16”. (Courtesy of the National Gallery of Art / Andrew W. Mellon Fund)

Thomas Cole is celebrated as a self-​made, self-​taught artist who never painted a picture before emigrating from England in 1818 and discovering the glorious American wilderness. But an enduring mystery surrounds his artistry.

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Issue: Winter 2014 / Volume 90/1
Published: January 6, 2014
Jean Dunbar

Jean Dunbar is a historic-​interiors consultant who has been researching Thomas Cole’s home and studio since 2008. Her articles about design history and interior preservation have appeared in magazines such as Preservation, Early American Life, Victorian Homes, and Fine Homebuilding.

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