Thomas Cole (1801-1848)

The present work was originally part of a larger composition estimated to be approximately 72 x 96 inches. According to Mrs. Florence H. Cole Vincent, the painting may have been cut down by the artist late in life or by another hand soon after his death. In her 1948 exhibition catalogue of Cole's work, Edith Seaver suggests the canvas was cut down in order to install the work in the Cole house in Catskill, New York. The remaining portion of the painting, entitled The Angels Ministering to Christ in the Wilderness, is in the collection of the Worcester Art Museum in Worcester, Massachusetts.