Increduality of St. Thomas 1888

Timothy Cole made this wood engraving, "The Incredulity of Saint Thomas," in the United States. Cole was part of a movement that sought to elevate American art by reproducing European masterpieces. This image depicts a scene from the New Testament, focusing on the apostle Thomas, who doubted Jesus's resurrection until he could touch his wounds. The visual language here is interesting; the haloed figures, the classical drapery, all point to a reverence for tradition. Cole was working at a time when institutions like museums and art schools were trying to define a canon of great art. Engravings like this one played a crucial role in disseminating these images, making them accessible to a wider audience. By studying Cole's career and the publications he worked for, we can better understand the cultural values and institutional structures that shaped artistic tastes at the turn of the 20th century.