The Voyage of Life: Manhood, 1840
Artwork
Medium:
Reproduction Print on Canvas
Date:
circa 2015
Dimensions:
Artworks -
Height: 16 in
Width: 20 in
Description:
A lone figure stands, praying in a golden boat with an angel on the prow. The boat is headed for a waterfall between cliffs and the sky is dark and stormy apart from a halo of light surrounding a white angel in the clouds.
Historical Context:
In 1839, the prominent New York banker and philanthropist Samuel Ward Sr. commissioned Thomas Cole to paint an allegorical series of four paintings titled "The Voyage of Life," synthesizing three ideas: life is a pilgrimage; a person's life can be divided into four distinct stages; and the course of a person's life can be metaphorically compared to a journey on a river that winds its way through a magical landscape. The series includes "Childhood," "Youth," "Manhood," and "Old Age."