The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino is holding a two-day conference about the juxtaposition of English-American artist Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and politician William H. Seward (1801-1872) starting on Thursday, Dec. 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Seward and Cole are leading artistic and political figures in 19th century New York. This interdisciplinary conference raises important historiographical questions which resonate to the present day.
The Huntington recently acquired a major painting by Cole, “Portage Falls on the Genesee,” ca. 1839, which was presented to Seward, then New York Governor, to hang in the executive mansion in Albany and later in his personal residence, now known as the Seward House Museum, in Auburn, New York. This conference is prompted by that acquisition.
Seward was a New York state Senator from 1830 to 1834 and allied with other opponents of the Jacksonian Democrats to form the new Whig Party. Under this banner, Seward served as governor of New York from 1839 to 1843, soon becoming recognized as leader of the antislavery wing of the party.
In 1849 Seward was elected to the U.S. Senate and joined the newly organized Republican Party in 1854-1855. When Abraham Lincoln became president in 1861, Seward was promptly named Seward secretary of state.
On April 14, 1865, the night Lincoln was shot and killed by John Wilkes Booth, Seward, who was bedridden because of a severe injury in a carriage accident, was stabbed in the throat by Lewis Powell, Booth’s fellow conspirator. Seward made a remarkable recovery and retained his cabinet post under Pres. Andrew Johnson until 1869.
Thomas Cole (February 1, 1801-February 11, 1848) was known for his Romantic landscape and history paintings. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement that flourished in the mid-19th century.
In 1925, Cole became one of the founding members of the National Academy of Design.
The conference at The Huntington on Thursday, organized around 11 short papers, will be arranged in four sessions: Politics and Abolitionism, Native Americans and New York State, Black Experience in New York State, and Environmental Perspectives. There will also be discussion time in The Huntington’s galleries where the speakers and the audience can engage in closely looking at Cole’s painting and at related works of art.
The Conference registration fee is $20 to $25 and includes free access to the grounds and galleries.
To check out the Conference schedule, visit https://huntington.org/seward-cole.
For more information, call (626) 405-2100.
