Who painted The Course of Empire: Destruction (1836)?

Who painted The Course of Empire: Destruction (1836)?

• A. Thomas Cole
• B. John Martin
• C. Harry Louis Freund
• D. Otto Dix

Answer: (A)

Thomas Cole, the American Romantic painter who founded the Hudson River School, painted The Course of Empire: Destruction in 1836. This piece is part of a five-panel sequence that traces a civilization from rise to fall, and Destruction shows the city in flames to symbolize the empire’s collapse. Cole’s work in this series uses dramatic, allegorical imagery and expansive landscapes to convey a moral about the transience of human achievements. The other artists listed did not create this painting; they are known for different works or time periods.

Thomas Cole, the American Romantic painter who founded the Hudson River School, painted The Course of Empire: Destruction in 1836. This piece is part of a five-panel sequence that traces a civilization from rise to fall, and Destruction shows the city in flames to symbolize the empire’s collapse. Cole’s work in this series uses dramatic, allegorical imagery and expansive landscapes to convey a moral about the transience of human achievements. The other artists listed did not create this painting; they are known for different works or time periods.