English
View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
Fascinated by the winding Connecticut River, Cole made the U-shaped bend known as the Oxbow the subject of this dramatic painting. He imbued the scene with the eerie glow that follows a thunderstorm. Cole juxtaposed stormy, untamed wilderness on the left with a sunlit, pastoral settlement on the right to emphasize the diverse possibilities of the American landscape. At the lower center the artist depicted himself, pausing from a sketch, gazing directly at the viewer.
"I think that [Cole] is calling out the fact that our way of developing—our way of improving the land or making it profitable—was pushing nature out, Indigenous people out." Xiye Bastida, climate activist, Audioguide 4026
"I think that [Cole] is calling out the fact that our way of developing—our way of improving the land or making it profitable—was pushing nature out, Indigenous people out." Xiye Bastida, climate activist, Audioguide 4026
Artwork Details
- Title: View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
- Artist: Thomas Cole (American, Lancashire 1801–1848 Catskill, New York)
- Date: 1836
- Culture: American
- Medium: Oil on canvas
- Dimensions: 51 1/2 x 76 in. (130.8 x 193 cm)
- Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1908
- Object Number: 08.228
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
Audio
4344. View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow
0:00
0:00
We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. Please email info@metmuseum.org to request a transcript for this track.
Listen to more about this artwork
More Artwork
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.