American Romanticism and the Gothic Features of Gelyna, 1828

By Andres Rodriguez

Thomas Cole, Gelyna (View From Ticonderoga), 1828

Thomas Cole is an American painter who is well-known for capturing the romanticism of the American landscape. Unlike most of his paintings, this specific painting has very dark, even Gothic symbolism. The dark black paint surrounding the picture which is caused from the cloud cover. The dead body of the British solider lying on the ground. The Gothic style of Edgar Allan Poe is significant in this painting because Thomas Cole captures the darkness of the American landscape. He also displays death by the British solider lying on the ground while another British solider on the left looks like he’s point something in the direction of the dead solider. He might be holding a gun or just pointing out that the solider is lying on the ground, possibly injured or dead. Nevertheless, the use of dark colors and the British solider lying on the ground creates a dark even Gothic theme of the painting while also capturing the American landscape of Fort Ticonderoga, New York.