In the spring of
1825 the 24-year-old Cole arrived in NYC from Philadelphia and began painting
landscapes.Several were exhibited in
the shop of George Dixie.Some were
seen by George Washington Bruen, a merchant and a patron of the American
Academy of Fine Arts.Bruen bought one
or more of Cole’s paintings and provided him with money to visit the Hudson
in late August.Returning with a
portfolio of sketches, Cole executed 5 paintings; placed with dealer William
Colman, they were seen by John Trumbull, artist and president of American
Academy.All 3 were bought, one by
Asher B. Durand, and that’s how Cole’s career began.