GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, painted this on his second European journey in 1841. Best known for his spectacular, large-scale landscapes, Cole often incorporated literary, biblical, and historical themes into his paintings. On his way from Avignon to Rome, Cole traveled to Vaucluse to see the house of Petrarch, the 14th-century poet and scholar. Originally Cole included the poet, cloaked in a brilliant, red garment, standing on the illuminated, rocky outcrop in the foreground. He painted Petrarch out, leaving only the imagined landscape of renaissance-era Vaucluse. Cole altered the actual landscape, compressing the steep sides of the ravine in order to achieve the desired effect of the Sublime, inspiring awe in his audience. The castle on the cliff was long ruined, but Cole painted it restored to its 14th-century glory.
Adapted from
- Eleanor Jones Harvey, label copy, n.d.
- Bonnie Pitman, ed., Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 179.
NOTES
Created in 1841
Object File reviewed
Rebecca Singerman worked on this note.
Is Valley of Vaucluse another title for this?
PROVENANCE: The provenance provided by the Metropolitan did not reflect that this work was owned by Frederic Church. Please refer to Gerald Carr's catalogue of the Olana Collection. Introductory Essay, fn 8, I believe, in which it is noted that Church owned both the painting and the now-missing sketch of the actual site at Vaucluse. I have a digital image provided by Olana of the missing drawing. (Sue Canterbury, 3/2016)
In letters of February 16 and 20 of 1882 Church wrote to Cole's son, Theodore, about selling three other Cole paintings, one being "Landscape--The Fountain of Vaucluse." Cite for this information is a small article by Valerie Paul, then IMS Intern at Olana, for "The Crayon" newsletter for the Olana State Historic Site. Fall-Winter 1988, p.11.
(Sue Canterbury, 3/31/17)
Probably this:
By 1882: Frederic Edwin Church, Olana (house), Hudson, New York
Until 1992: Met
From 1992: DMA
Review this---note that says Beaumont, Church, Dodge
From 1992: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of J.E.R. Chilton
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Fountain-de-Vaucluse (inhabited place/France): TGN: 7649617
Place of origin: Rome (Italy): TGN: 7000874
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
By 1848: F. Robinson [1]
Until 1852: Dr. Gardiner, purchased at auction, “Williams, Stevens and Williams Great Annual Sale of about 350 of the most Valuable Oil Paintings, in this country,” Henry H. Leeds and Co., New York, NY, October 28-30, 1852, lot 281 as “Valley of Vancluse” [2]
Until 1870: John Pierson Beaumont (1831-1876), New York
1870: his sale, “Original Paintings, Water Color Drawings, etc., etc., comprising the entire private collection of Works of Art belonging to Mr. J. P. Beaumont, which together with his curiosities, bronzes, statuary and household furniture,” Henry H. Leeds and Miner, New York, NY, April 19, 1870, lot 93, as “Valley of Vancluse” [3]
By 1882: Frederic Edwin Church [4]
Until d. 1903: William Earl Dodge (1832-1903), Riverdale, New York
1903-1992: Metropolitan Museum of Art, bequest of above
1992: Dallas Museum of Art, Chilton Fund and General Acquisition Fund purchase from above
The main source for this provenance is the report compiled by Emily Schiller and Rebecca Singerman, 2012-2018. Copy in object file.
[1] F. Robinson’s ownership of this painting is recorded in the checklist of the exhibition “Paintings of the Late Thomas Cole,” American Art-Union, New York, NY, 1848, no. 79, p. 18. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records object file.
[2] Seller listed in the Henry Leeds auction catalogue, October 27-29, 1852, p. 21. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in Collections Records object file.
[3] Seller listed in the Henry Leeds auction catalogue, April 19, 1870, p. 16. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in object file.
[4] According to a letter from Frederic E. Church (dated February 16, 1882) to Theodore Cole, Church discusses his intended sale of the painting and plan to give the proceeds to Theodore’s mother, Thomas Cole’s widow. Letter in the archives at Olana (OL.1981.865). Transcript in object file.
AUDIO ASSETS
VIDEO ASSETS
IMAGE ASSETS
WEB RESOURCES
- YouTube~Experience this virtual exploration of Asher B. Durand's 1849 Kindred Spirits, created in honor of Thomas Cole who died the year before.
ARCHIVAL RESOURCES
FUN FACTS
- Cole’s star pupil, Frederic Edwin Church owned this painting. He sold it in 1882 to give the proceeds to Cole’s widow.
- When he painted this, Cole was traveling with Ithiel Town, the architect of the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, CT, and the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City.
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Apply to objects where number equals 1992.14
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General Description
Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, painted this on his second European journey in 1841. Best known for his spectacular, large-scale landscapes, Cole often incorporated literary, biblical, and historical themes into his paintings. On his way from Avignon to Rome, Cole traveled to Vaucluse to see the house of Petrarch, the 14th-century poet and scholar. Originally Cole included the poet, cloaked in a brilliant, red garment, standing on the illuminated, rocky outcrop in the foreground. He painted Petrarch out, leaving only the imagined landscape of renaissance-era Vaucluse. Cole altered the actual landscape, compressing the steep sides of the ravine in order to achieve the desired effect of the Sublime, inspiring awe in his audience. The castle on the cliff was long ruined, but Cole painted it restored to its 14th-century glory.
Adapted from
- Eleanor Jones Harvey, label copy, n.d.
- Bonnie Pitman, ed., Dallas Museum of Art: A Guide to the Collection (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2012), 179.
Fun Facts
- Cole’s star pupil, Frederic Edwin Church owned this painting. He sold it in 1882 to give the proceeds to Cole’s widow.
- When he painted this, Cole was traveling with Ithiel Town, the architect of the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford, CT, and the Federal Hall National Memorial in New York City.
Archival Resources
Web Resources
- YouTube~Experience this virtual exploration of Asher B. Durand's 1849 Kindred Spirits, created in honor of Thomas Cole who died the year before.
Notes
Created in 1841
Object File reviewed
Rebecca Singerman worked on this note.
Is Valley of Vaucluse another title for this?
PROVENANCE: The provenance provided by the Metropolitan did not reflect that this work was owned by Frederic Church. Please refer to Gerald Carr's catalogue of the Olana Collection. Introductory Essay, fn 8, I believe, in which it is noted that Church owned both the painting and the now-missing sketch of the actual site at Vaucluse. I have a digital image provided by Olana of the missing drawing. (Sue Canterbury, 3/2016)
In letters of February 16 and 20 of 1882 Church wrote to Cole's son, Theodore, about selling three other Cole paintings, one being "Landscape--The Fountain of Vaucluse." Cite for this information is a small article by Valerie Paul, then IMS Intern at Olana, for "The Crayon" newsletter for the Olana State Historic Site. Fall-Winter 1988, p.11.
(Sue Canterbury, 3/31/17)
Probably this:
By 1882: Frederic Edwin Church, Olana (house), Hudson, New York
Until 1992: Met
From 1992: DMA
Review this---note that says Beaumont, Church, Dodge
From 1992: Dallas Museum of Art, gift of J.E.R. Chilton
Artist/designers
Cultures
Geography
Depicted location: Fountain-de-Vaucluse (inhabited place/France): TGN: 7649617
Place of origin: Rome (Italy): TGN: 7000874
Process/materials
Historical periods
Individuals
Subject terms
RELATED OBJECTS
PROVENANCE
By 1848: F. Robinson [1]
Until 1852: Dr. Gardiner, purchased at auction, “Williams, Stevens and Williams Great Annual Sale of about 350 of the most Valuable Oil Paintings, in this country,” Henry H. Leeds and Co., New York, NY, October 28-30, 1852, lot 281 as “Valley of Vancluse” [2]
Until 1870: John Pierson Beaumont (1831-1876), New York
1870: his sale, “Original Paintings, Water Color Drawings, etc., etc., comprising the entire private collection of Works of Art belonging to Mr. J. P. Beaumont, which together with his curiosities, bronzes, statuary and household furniture,” Henry H. Leeds and Miner, New York, NY, April 19, 1870, lot 93, as “Valley of Vancluse” [3]
By 1882: Frederic Edwin Church [4]
Until d. 1903: William Earl Dodge (1832-1903), Riverdale, New York
1903-1992: Metropolitan Museum of Art, bequest of above
1992: Dallas Museum of Art, Chilton Fund and General Acquisition Fund purchase from above
The main source for this provenance is the report compiled by Emily Schiller and Rebecca Singerman, 2012-2018. Copy in object file.
[1] F. Robinson’s ownership of this painting is recorded in the checklist of the exhibition “Paintings of the Late Thomas Cole,” American Art-Union, New York, NY, 1848, no. 79, p. 18. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in Dallas Museum of Art Collections Records object file.
[2] Seller listed in the Henry Leeds auction catalogue, October 27-29, 1852, p. 21. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in Collections Records object file.
[3] Seller listed in the Henry Leeds auction catalogue, April 19, 1870, p. 16. See “American art auction catalog collection, 1785-1962” at the Archives of American Art. Copy in object file.
[4] According to a letter from Frederic E. Church (dated February 16, 1882) to Theodore Cole, Church discusses his intended sale of the painting and plan to give the proceeds to Theodore’s mother, Thomas Cole’s widow. Letter in the archives at Olana (OL.1981.865). Transcript in object file.
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