The Bridge of Fear

Thomas Cole

Graphite and black crayon with gray wash on wove paper

National Gallery of Art

The Bridge of Fear is a drawing by Thomas Cole depicting a natural rock bridge in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, a landmark that captured Cole's imagination during his 1827 sketching expedition to the region. Executed in graphite and black crayon with gray wash on wove paper, the work exemplifies Cole's disciplined practice of drawing directly from nature, which he would later translate into his ambitious studio paintings. Cole, born in Lancashire, England in 1801 and founder of the Hudson River School, was renowned for investing the American wilderness with spiritual and allegorical weight. This drawing served as a direct source for the iconic bridge motif that appears in his landmark biblical paintings, including Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, cementing its importance as a preparatory study within his broader allegorical program.