“The Voyage of Life: Manhood” is an oil on canvas artwork painted by Thomas Cole in 1840. This work, which falls within the Romanticism art movement, is an allegorical painting and is part of Cole’s series titled “The Voyage of Life.”
The artwork presents a dramatic scene featuring a man navigating through treacherous waters in a small boat. The landscape is tumultuous, with steep, jagged rocks, crashing waves, and a dark, foreboding sky illuminated by a celestial light breaking through the clouds. The man, clad in a red robe, stands resolutely at the front of the boat, gripping the side, as if bracing himself against the storm. The overall composition of the artwork evokes a sense of struggle and determination, symbolizing the challenges and trials faced during the stage of manhood in the allegorical journey through life.
