Thomas ColeAmerican, 1801–1848View of Florence
Can I see it?
Yes, on view now
Where is “View of Florence” now? The Cleveland Museum of Art, 206 American Landscape, Cleveland. Yes, on view now. Checked September 29, 2026.
On public display.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the painting
View of Florence from San Miniato is an oil on canvas painting by American artist Thomas Cole.
In the museum's words
Cole visited Italy in 1831 and made a small pencil sketch of this vista of Florence shortly before sunset. In his New York studio six years later, he transformed the drawing into this large oil painting, adding picturesque humans and goats to the foreground. Exhibiting View of Florence alongside a painting of the Catskill Mountains in New York in 1837, Cole set out to prove that he had mastered the very different landscapes of the Old and New Worlds.
The Cleveland Museum of Art
Details
- Accession number
- 1961.39
In the catalog
Sources
- The Cleveland Museum of Art
- Image: The Cleveland Museum of Art — Museum open access
In the life of Thomas Cole
The whole life1825–1848
89 paintings at the National Academy of Design
From the founding of the National Academy of Design in 1825 until Cole's death, 89 of his paintings were shown at its exhibitions.
1836
Marries Maria Bartow
Cole married Maria Bartow of Catskill, a niece of the owners of Cedar Grove, and became a year-round resident there; the couple had five children.
1836
Writes the essay “American Scenery”
In his article on “American Scenery” Cole described his complex relationship with the American landscape in aesthetic, emotional and spiritual terms.
1838
Third place in the Ohio Statehouse competition
Cole wrote poetry and dabbled in architecture: he took third place in the competition to design the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, and many contend that the finished building, a composite of the three winning entries, closely resembles his design.
