Thomas Cole, Landscape (Landscape with Tree Trunks), 1828
Focusing on Landscape (Landscape with Tree Trunks) by Thomas Cole, students are guided through a visual analysis that draws on the socio-political context of the early-mid 19th century.
Two additional paintings, Native American Sachem and The Landing of Roger Williams in 1936, are introduced to compare the ways Native American people are presented in European-American art in relation to the environment. Students synthesize their insights by writing a museum label for Cole’s painting and explore more perspectives by researching and reflecting on objects of their choice by Native American artists.