Fevered Dreams of Thomas Cole

Beth and I purchased a log cabin in the Hudson Valley some years ago. At the time I didn’t know too much about this area.  As time went on, I not only discovered the extraordinary landscapes that set this area apart, but also became familiar with the Hudson River School of painters. The Hudson River School had its start in the early 1800’s. Thomas Cole, a leading contributor, found much of his inspiration in the Hudson Valley landscapes very near our cabin. His work captured the grandeur of the Catskill mountains, waterfalls, rivers, streams and clouds as seen in his paintings.

As he painted, Cole was troubled by the encroachment of agriculture, loss of forests and growth of railroads quickly taking over this region. Yet his paintings continued to show an idyllic, dream like landscape with just hints of the human “progress” that was allowing all of this to slip away. While I have also seen what industry and the loss of natural resources has done to this region, short hikes are all that is required to find oneself immersed in the beauty and the vistas that inspired Thomas Cole. These photographs reflect the influence of the Hudson River painters and this landscape on me as a photographer and the magic that is still here in the clouds, the mountains and the sunsets.