The Architect's Dream
Thomas Cole · 1840
Why it's great
An architect lies on a giant column, dreaming of a huge city of classical buildings from all over the world. Cole painted it for an architect friend. It's a fantasy of great architecture. It's one of the most imaginative American paintings of its time.
Where to see it
📍 Toledo Museum of ArtToledo, United States
Open in Maps ↗Hang it on your wall
Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:
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Thomas Cole was born in England and moved to the United States as a teenager, settling near the Hudson River in New York. He founded the Hudson River School, a group of artists who painted America's wild landscapes. His paintings often carried messages about nature and civilization. He died in Catskill, New York, in 1848.
