The Course of Empire - Thomas Cole

The article on Empires on the Edge of Chaos (click for link to article below) refers to the Five paintings of Thomas Cole (1836) on The Course of Empire.  


Thomas Cole captures the theory of the ride and fall of an empire. 
There is the moral of all human tales;
'This but the same reheasal of the past
 First Freedom, and then Glory: when that fails
Wealth, vice, corruption


First - The Savage State

Followed by - The Arcadian or Pastoral State

Third - The Consummation of Empire

Followed by - Destruction

And Finally ....Desolation

Here is the link to the first painting then follow the links to the next four paintings.

http://www.isu.edu/~wattron/OLCole2.html