Studies: a gesture of faith

This piece is a study in the work of Thomas Cole, both through his artwork and the impact he had on American art. It's a story of political tension, contrast, and depth that is hard to explain but you can FEEL. At the time he started doing landscapes, landscapes were already dead in the minds of art collectors. This work utilizes a rgbw/cmyk color palette, heavily compressed. A dead medium, some might say.