The Course of Empire, The Savage State—created in New York City, United States in approximately 1834, is a Painting by Thomas Cole that serves as the first installment in a series depicting the cyclical Nature of civilization. The artwork presents a vast, untamed wilderness, illustrating the early and primitive stage of societal Development. The scene is populated by hunter-gatherers in a dynamic Landscape, marked by dense forests, scattered wildlife, and a meandering river under an overcast sky. Cole employs a palette that emphasizes natural colors, capturing the raw Beauty and untapped potential of the landscape. This piece, along with the other works in the series, addresses themes of growth, Decay, and transformation within human societies. The Course of Empire, The Savage State is currently displayed at the New-York Historical Society in New York City.
Genealogy
The Course of Empire: The Savage State serves as a vivid entry into the discourse on the rise and fall of civilizations, capturing a moment of untamed wilderness and primal Existence. This artwork is conceptually linked to the cyclical theories of History popular in the early 19th century, particularly influenced by texts like Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire and Oswald Spengler’s The Decline of the West, which explore themes of societal progression and decay. The title evokes the early stage of civilization, resonating with Rousseau's ideas of the "noble savage" and the narrative of Human Evolution from primordial chaos to structured society. The scene depicted within the artwork features figures and activities emblematic of an untouched, nascent society: Hunting, Foraging, and simple communal Life, situated in an allegorical landscape reminiscent of ancient historical places such as the untouched Appalachian landscapes and the Romanticized vision of the pre-Columbian Americas. Historically, the piece has been employed as a cautionary symbol, aligning with the 19th-century ethos of manifest Destiny and expansion, while also serving as a visual Allegory for the tensions between civilization and nature. Over various reinterpretations, it has been misappropriated to suggest either a glorification or condemnation of primitive life, influenced by shifting intellectual frameworks regarding Progress and Imperialism. The series to which it belongs underscores the trajectory from Innocence through complexity to eventual decline, echoing works like T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land in their Exploration of cultural degeneration. The underlying Structure of The Course of Empire: The Savage State is a Meditation on the fragility and impermanence of human constructs, positioning itself within broader debates on civilization's lifecycle, the role of nature, and humanity's Place within it.
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