Expulsion from the Garden of Eden 1828

Thomas Cole painted "Expulsion from the Garden of Eden" to explore themes of morality and the sublime, ideas central to the Hudson River School in the early 19th century. Cole's work reflects the era's complex relationship with nature, where the concept of the American landscape as a new Eden was juxtaposed with the ongoing displacement of indigenous people. Here, a stark dichotomy separates the serene, sunlit Garden from the harsh, volcanic wilderness. Adam and Eve are reduced to small, fleeing figures, underscoring the loss of innocence and the beginning of human suffering. Cole seems to suggest that the consequences of their actions have irrevocably altered their relationship with the natural world. The painting isn't just a retelling of a biblical story, it's a commentary on the human condition, marked by the tension between longing for paradise and the acknowledgement of our own destructive tendencies.