The Arcadian or Pastoral State is the second in a series of five oil-on-canvas paintings entitled The Course of Empire, created by American artist Thomas Cole between 1833 and 1836. The series, now in the collection of the New-York Historical Society, depicts the growth and fall of an imaginary city, situated at the lower end of a river valley. In this second painting, the wilderness has given way to settled lands where agriculture and commerce take place. The man drawing a mathematical figure, the ship being built and the primitive temple on the hill are evidence that the arts and sciences have made considerable progress.Painting credit: Thomas Cole