The Voyage of Life series, painted by Thomas Cole in 1840, is a series of paintings that represent an allegory of the four stages of human life: childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. The paintings follow a voyager who travels in a boat on a river through the mid-1800s American wilderness. In each painting, accompanied by a guardian angel, the voyager rides the boat on the River of Life. The landscape, corresponding to the seasons of the year, plays a major role in telling the story. In each picture, the boat's direction of travel is reversed from the previous picture. In childhood, the infant glides from a dark cave into a rich, green landscape. As a youth, the boy takes control of the boat and aims for a shining castle in the sky. In manhood, the adult relies on prayer and religious faith to sustain him through rough waters and a threatening landscape. Finally, the man becomes old and the angel guides him to heaven across the waters of eternity.
Every detail in these four paintings is there for a purpose: the lighting of the scene, the location of the guardian angel, the shape or condition of the boat, the movement of the river, the scenery of the landscape, etc. Enjoy viewing Cole's allegory:
- The Voyage of Life: Childhood
- The Voyage of Life: Youth
- The Voyage of Life: Manhood
- The Voyage of Life: Old Age
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