Thomas Cole: The Artist as Architect

Blaugrund (Dispensing Beauty) examines the often forgotten architectural pursuits of the Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole (1801%E2%80%931848) on the occasion of the reconstruction of his self-designed studio at his home in Catskill, N.Y. When Cole had many paintings to his credit but not a single building, he boldly listed himself as an architect for three years (1834 to 1826) in the New York City phone book. This wasn't ultimately idle dreaming: Cole subsequently designed a Greek Revival Church in Catskill, created his own studio, and took third place in an 1838 competition for the design of the Ohio State Capital, with his submission substantially incorporated into the ultimate design by the first-place finisher. Blaugrund charts the tendency in Cole's work for natural landscapes to fall away in favor of increasingly imaginative architecture in paintings, such as "The Architect's Dream" and the Course of Empire series; this makes it abundantly clear why actual building was not a remotely surprising undertaking for Cole. The only element somewhat lacking is an accounting of just what practical knowledge undergirded Cole's built work. Illus. (Apr.)