I’ve been haunting the Denver Art Museum lately, reacquainting myself with old friends. And by friends I mean works of art that I used to be in charge of. That was a long time ago, but I’m happy to find that my old friends still are looking great!

Among many friends, this stunning example of 19th century American art by Thomas Cole is and was always one of my favorites. He was an English born, self-taught painter. Both Cole and I had/have a thing for Italy.

In this painting, The Dream of Arcadia from about 1838, Cole drew his inspiration from Greece. The art museum’s website supplies this information:

The theme of Thomas Cole’s Dream of Arcadia is man’s relationship to unspoiled nature. Cole felt that the American wilderness was beginning to disappear as a result of the industrialization of the nation. In this painting, Cole harks back to the land of Arcadia, a rustic, secluded area of ancient Greece. The people who lived in Arcadia led simple, happy lives, in harmony with nature. Cole creates an idyllic image of an unblemished landscape—one where people frolic in the trees, sheep roam the hillside, and children play in the gentle river.

I’ll be posting other old friends from the museum over the next weeks. I’m so happy to see them again!