This is one of a series of four paintings that Thomas Cole created that are collectively called "The Voyage of Life". The one above represents the time frame I currently find myself navigating, namely adulthood. All four paintings reside at the National Gallery of Art in DC. The first time I saw them I was still in my youthful orientation. I remember looking at adulthood then and thinking perhaps Cole chose to heighten the emotion for dramatic effect. For those reading this on a iPhone, the painting shows a weary, fear-laden adult man, praying to an indifferent God moments before he is thrown through turbulent, seemly unending rapids. A hands-off angel observes from a distance. Now I understand that Cole was being modest. I would have removed one of the man's arms, painted in some river sharks, and, being correct for the time period, rained down Ulama-sized hail. Actually, if I were modernizing it, I'd give the guy a new Banana Republic Gore-tex jacket, have him playing Angry Birds on his iPad, and note his calm, benzodiazepine-induced disposition as he is thrown down any river in China.
No comments:
Post a Comment