Hudson NY, Catskills

Frederic Edwin Church (1826-1900), often associated with the first uniquely American art movement known as the Hudson River School, is among the most notable American artists of the 19th century. Church, along with many other artists of the Hudson River School, was heavily influenced by the school’s renowned founder, Thomas Cole, under whom Church studied from 1844-1846. Church’s paintings capture the beauty of nature with realism and detail, offering the belief that the vast and awe-inspiring American landscape was sublime and picturesque, often a reflection of God, with nature ultimately inseparable from religion. These praise-worthy qualities attracted much public attention to his work, with his famous Heart of the Andes (1859) once drawing over 12,000 thousand people in New York City, each who paid to view the single piece of artwork. Although Church travelled and painted widely, he still maintained a place in his heart for his Catskills roots – notable paintings of the Catskills region include North Lake (1847), Scene on the Catskill Creek, New York (1847), Morning, Looking East over the Hudson Valley from the Catskill Mountains (1848), To the Memory of Cole (1848), and Autumn on the Hudson (1853). Church would go on to become a founding trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Olana estate was purchased by Church in 1860, with 18 acres added later in 1867, and includes over 250 acres. Beginning with a small country cottage in 1861, the estate would eventually become a work of art just as grand as his famous paintings. The Persian-influenced main house, personally designed and decorated by Church using influences from an extended trip to the Middle East, would become the focal point of the estate. The landscaped grounds offer panoramic views of Rip Van Winkle Bridge and the Catskill Mountain range and Norman Rockwell-ish countryside views of lakes, fields, trees and hills, all visible from an extensive network of former carriage roads. Today, the estate grounds are open year round and guided house and studio tours are available.