"The Course of Empire" is a series of five paintings created by American artist Thomas Cole in the 1830s. The series illustrates the rise and fall of a fictional civilization, depicting stages from a pristine wilderness to a grand city, followed by its decline and eventual ruin. Each painting captures a different phase, emphasizing the cyclical nature of human progress. The five paintings are titled: The Savage State, The Arcadian or Pastoral State, The Consummation of Empire, Destruction, and Desolation. Together, they convey a moral lesson about the consequences of ambition and the inevitable decline that follows unchecked growth and excess.