United States History Student Edition

C View From Mount Holyoke (“The Oxbow”)

Painted in 1836 by the artist Thomas Cole (1801–1848), this image shows a view from Mount Holyoke in Northampton, Massachusetts. This location became known as “The Oxbow” for the bend in the river, which resembles a yoke used to harness an ox. Thomas Cole belonged to a group of New York-based landscape artists known as the Hudson River School. These artists were inspired by the wild, open terrain of North America and worked to capture its beauty.

PRIMARY SOURCE: PAINTING

EXAMINE THE SOURCE 1. Explaining Describe what you see in the painting. Comment on its style. 2. Speculating Why do you think the Hudson River School artists chose to paint landscapes in this style? How do you think Cole’s painting relates to a growing sense of pride among Americans? 3. Comparing Compare this painting to Audubon’s image. What do both reveal about American culture at this time in history?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mrs. Russell Sage, 1908

Life in the North and the South 401