The Past, 1838 Thomas Cole (1801-1848)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Thomas Cole also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting The Past is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

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The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

"The Past," completed in 1838, reveals a grand medieval tableau: a sunlit castle presides over a wide green field, where a jousting contest captivates a gathered throng. Observers in vibrant attire cluster at the edges of a circular arena, with colorful tents and banners punctuating the foreground. The castle tower dominates the center, its formidable height accentuating the celebratory atmosphere that unfolds below. In the distance, soft hills and a rolling landscape suggest a world that extends beyond this moment of courtly spectacle.

The palette is remarkably luminous - bright greens and warm ochres anchor the setting, while the tents and garments introduce balanced notes of red and gold. These hues, enhanced by gentle shadows, emphasize the midday glow and underscore the jovial mood. Thomas Cole’s approach to light maintains a sense of clarity across the painting, drawing the viewer’s eye gradually from the crowded festivities in the center to the distant road and verdant hills.

Cole’s brushwork, precise yet not devoid of atmosphere, highlights his deep affection for landscape as much as for narrative. The careful rendering of the architecture and minute details - from the stone fortress to the slender trees flanking the field - speaks to his rigorous technique. At the same time, there is a softness in the foliage and sky that grants the composition a poetic resonance, hinting at a Romantic sensibility integral to the Hudson River School tradition.

The structure of the scene is anchored by the dominant verticality of the round tower, a focal point that maintains visual balance against the horizontal sweep of the festivities. Layered planes guide the eye from foreground figures to the central joust, then upward toward the strong form of the castle. This rhythmic flow, orchestrated by Cole’s careful arrangement of people, tents, and natural elements, infuses the painting with a dynamic liveliness.

Placed in historical context, "The Past" emerges as part of Cole’s broader exploration of civilization’s rise and decline. Commissioned after his prominent series "The Course of Empire," it offers a variant on that theme, capturing humanity at a prosperous juncture. Later, its companion piece, "The Present," would reveal the same site in decay. Thus, within this medieval festivity, Cole subtly presents the undercurrent of time’s passage, evoking a moment that is inevitably destined to transform.