Members’ Program: Nationalism and Democracy in Thomas Cole's A Wild Scene

Thursday, September 10, 2026

11:00 AM–12:30 PM EST

In-person members’ program

Baltimore Museum of Art, 10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21218

Please join the BMA's Senior Curator of American Art, Virginia M. G. Anderson, for an in-gallery talk to discuss the origin story of Thomas Cole's sweeping and cinematic painting, A Wild Scene (1832), which was created for the prominent Baltimore collector Robert Gilmor, Jr. We will examine its relationship to Cole's signature 5-painting series, The Course of Empire, consider the links between images of the American landscape and 19th century nationalism, and explore how Cole embedded the era's conceptions of democracy into this painting's composition. 

Members-only, registration required (limited to 30 people). Free.

PLEASE NOTE: AFTER ADDING TO CART, GO TO THE CART BUTTON ON THE TOP RIGHT OF YOUR LAPTOP/DESKTOP SCREEN OR THE CART BANNER AT THE BASE OF YOUR PHONE SCREEN. THEN, FOLLOW THE STEPS TO CHECK OUT. YOU WILL RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION NUMBER AND A CONFIRMATION EMAIL.