Thomas Cole (1801–1848)

Exerpt from Alan Wallach's research letter:

Cole was enamored with the Italian landscape, particularly its picturesque views and haunting ruins.  He visited Rome for the first time in 1831-1832 and produced a number of scenes during or shortly thereafter his visit.  View on the Tiber likely dates to his visit to Rome in the winter 1841-1842.  The painting contains his typical palette of dark and light greens in the foliage and a range of reds, pinks, purples, blues and whites in the sky.  There is a sole figure in a boat along the river, which is a familiar motif also found in his depictions of upstate New York.  Cole was particularly fascinated by boats, and typically used them to serve as a focal point for the composition.  The farm building alludes to his architectural background in terms of its accuracy of depiction.  The painting overall has a strong attention to detail from the foliage to the herd of sheep and the mountains in the background.  Cole strongly felt that Italy represented the previous high-water mark of civilization, and that America represented the future.