The Savage State | Thomas Cole | 1834 Ilya Repin places the bride in an

places the bride in an ornate room that underscores her wealth and social standing

a universal symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit

which blends realism with abstraction

This piece is part of Goya's "Black Paintings" series

massive earthquakes rending the earth

The Savage State | Thomas Cole | 1834 Ilya Repin places the bride in anAbout the artwork: Thomas Cole's "The Course of Empire" is a five part series of paintings created between 1833 and 1836, depicting the rise and fall of an imaginary empire. The series traces the cyclical nature of civilization, beginning with "The Savage State," where nature is untamed and humanity is in its infancy. This is followed by "The Arcadian or Pastoral State," illustrating the harmony between humans and nature, and then "The Consummation of