The Oxbow
Figure 1 Thomas Cole, View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow, 1836
Introduction
Back in 1836, a renowned artist Thomas Cole came up with an outstanding artwork known as The Oxbow, view from Mountain Holyoke, Massachusetts after Thunderstorm. During the development of this painting there was a movement in the United States known as the manifest destiny and it is believed to be caused of people migrating from east towards west. The Oxbow effectively captured the symbolism via composition, lighting, color and line techniques, and it indicated that the artist was against the movement (Tharaud, 2014).
The artwork painting is one of the special landscapes pointing a river known as Connecticut and it portrays a natural style. The artist utilized oil on canvas to come up with masterpiece of 4’3.5 by 6’4’’which hangs in the metropolitan museum. Cole did this with motive of proving his involvement in nature’s spiritual competence as well as harmony with it (Faison, 2015).
Description
In the painting, one can clearly see the actual lines used to show the viewer’s attention to the central idea of the painting. Good use of the diagonal line as a divider of the painting between the forest and the river. Furthermore, in the same composition, there are lines which indicate the intentional divide of both habited and inhabited region.
The shape loop of the river on the other hand geometrically resembles the storm progressiveness. When there is transformation of clouds from white fluffy and the storms are threatening. The background of the scenario is revealed through diagonal cut in the center of the painting which becomes paramount as well as symbolic to the theme.
A combination of implied and actual mass result is diversity. The background, the river, and the sky seem very static compared to the mobile trees in the front of the painting.
The space is also very contrasting, to begin with, there is a falling tree and the thunderstorm on the left-hand side that limit the space, and one can see the open river plain and clear sky that opens the whole painting and impose the feeling that the storm is going away.
Time and motion are also evident and implied in the in the Cole’s art. The dark part of the cloud indicates evening hours and it is likely to rain. At this hour human activities are minimal.
There is implied Sun light coming from the right-hand side. This source of light only creates shades on the left side which results in a very dynamic arrangement.
When it comes to color, the artist colors the river valley with light green and light brown to indicate the cultivation and vibrancy of the fields. He also uses dark green to color the forest and removes colors in the shattered tree trunks. Additionally, he uses mostly variations of green and blue. Not very diverse color is use to paint the overall impression of the natural harmony.
A variety of textures could be noticed. Cole was using implied texture through the use of line, color, and other visual elements to construct the impression of several textures in what is an ordinary horizontal painting.
In terms of unity and variety, the author uses different colors to indicate the presence of diverse elements. The use of different shades of green shows the vegetation while dark is used to show the clouds.
Balance –The painting doesn’t portray symmetrical. It changes from a gloomy wilderness with crushed trees on the left to a plain, nurtured landscape on the right, which limits the river.
Moreover, Cole is very talented in artwork and he puts emphasis through the river while the subordination is the land. The river plays a vital role in the place, since it looks a dry land which during dry season depend on water from the river.
Directional Forces – Thomas’ art is very interesting and his use of hilly green region directs one to the river. The flow of the river also indicates moving from one point to the other.
The contrast is seen in every single aspect of the painting. The light and dark landscapes, the wild clouds and clear sky, the wilderness, the cultivated landscape on the right. Everything seems contrasting, the colors, the lines, the texture, and all other visual elements.
The art also indicates repetition and rhythm. The land uses its unique color to differentiate it from the sky which has dark clouds, while on the left size there is a green part that tries to indicate presence of a forest or bush in the region.
When it comes to scale and proportion, the objects are life-sized and indicate natural. The tree and small bush have the expected sizes.
Conclusion
Cole manages to transform the landscape nearer to everyone who look at the painting. He evokes emotions through his skills in visual elements. I am amazed of the vivid impression of tranquil and wild nature, and how Cole illustrates his believes in this magnificent painting.
References
Faison, E. K. (2015). Seeing the Landscape in Landscape Art. Arnoldia, 73(2), 2-18.
Tharaud, J. (2014). Evangelical Space: The Oxbow, Religious Print, and the Moral Landscape in America. American Art, 28(3), 52-75.