The recently reachable territories appeared to offer infinite possibilities and huge resources. The Hudson River artists were men, who believed in the glory of nature, which they thought was an evidence of God's power. Westward movement, which often involved the violent displacement of native people, was stimulated by the concept of Manifest Destiny, the divine right of white Americans to settle the whole North American continent. Painters, awed by the country's magnificent and exotic beauty, filled their scenes with radiant light, thus implying that God blessed the land. Their paintings were made to illustrate their admiration for this power, but also to celebrate the importance of the rising nation. .
The very year Thomas Cole made The Hunter's Return (1845) saw the United States territory grow significantly. Florida entered the Union in March and Texas became the 28th state in December. The Hunter's Return represents wild woods surrounding a glade where a family seems to be living in symbiotically with the prevailing forces of nature. Cole was often away from his own family when he was looking for themes to paint. In this picture, he may be giving the spectator an idea of his own feelings when he returned home. .
Cole was famous for the spiritual or moral symbols he was used to put in his work. His perception of the American landscape was produced by the time in which he lived. America was still a new country, and many considered it as a Garden of Eden, plentiful and wild. Mountains, woods, waterfalls and other wonders of nature, as depicted in The Hunter's Return, can symbolize the marvels of the frontier. .
In the painting, we can see a welcoming cabin, built in beautiful surroundings. There, the settler family seems to be able to live on the profusion of the land. However, Cole also gives the watcher indications of the loss caused by the presence of humanity in nature. If we observe the painting more closely, we can see tree remains and timber that may well be considered as some warnings about "taming the wilderness".
