Course of Empire painting series by Thomas Cole

While looking for an illustration for today's quote, I found this series of images painted by American artist Thomas Cole in 1836 eerily preceding the American Civil War. The series is called "The Course of Empire" with "Consumation", "Destruction", and "Desolation" of an imaginary Greco-Roman city depicted here. There are two other paintings entitled "Savage State" and "Pastoral State" but I think we're way past those stages. All images are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The series was commissioned by New York merchant Luman Reed and is now in the collections of the New York Historical Society.
"Course of Empire: Consummation" by Thomas Cole, 1836

"Course of Empire: Destruction" by Thomas Cole, 1836
"Course of Empire: Desolation" by Thomas Cole, 1836

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