The Voyage of Life: Manhood

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"The Voyage of Life: Manhood" is a mid-19th-century allegorical painting by Thomas Cole depicting the challenges and moral trials of adult life as part of his four-part series on the human journey from birth to eternity.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf allegorical painting
oil painting
painting
allegoricalTheme moral decision‑making in adulthood
perils of worldly ambition
reliance on divine guidance
struggle between faith and despair
artisticSchool Hudson River School landscape tradition
countryOfOrigin United States of America
creator Thomas Cole
depicts adult life
challenges of manhood
dark, turbulent sky
distant heavenly light
guardian angel at a distance
man in a boat
moral trials of adult life
rocky cliffs
spiritual struggle
stormy river journey
depictsStageOfLife manhood
maturity
depictsTimeOfDay dramatic, darkened daylight
followedBy The Voyage of Life: Old Age
genre Hudson River School
hasPart boat as symbol of human life
distant angelic figure
figure of a middle‑aged man
river as symbol of life’s course
rocky, dangerous landscape
storm clouds
hasPerspective narrative, linear progression along a river
hasSymbolism angel as symbol of divine protection
light in distance as symbol of salvation
river current as symbol of forces beyond human control
rocks as symbol of danger and moral peril
storm as symbol of trials and tribulations
intendedMeaning to encourage reliance on faith during life’s trials
to illustrate the moral and spiritual dangers of adult life
languageOfTitle English
mainSubject Christian morality
human life
spiritual journey
temptation and peril
movement Romanticism
partOf four‑part cycle of life stages
partOfSeries The Voyage of Life
precededBy The Voyage of Life: Youth
seriesPosition third painting in The Voyage of Life series


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