field trip to Olana

Olana was home to Frederic Edwin Church (1826–1900), a major figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. His home (which is now a museum near Hudson, NY.) overlooks parkland designed by the artist. So he didn’t just paint landscapes - he created a landscape (excavated, planted trees, had a pond formed, etc). The house and land have been carefully preserved.

The house is situated for maximum visual impact for arriving visitors, with 2 sides meeting at the huge corner tower facing the driveway.

Inside, each window frames a perfect view:

There were so many magical reflections on glass and in mirrors that they have to have been intentional:

Church decorated the house for theatrical impression. This dining room (below) looks formal and stiff in the gray daylight. It was meant to be seen by candlelight, after dark, to create an intimate atmosphere . The paintings on the wall here are cheap ones he picked up on his travels. Beautifully framed, they are meant as mere props.

(below) Church’s painting of Petra, seen from the narrow path between the stone cliffs, along with my photo of the same view of Petra. I have no problem with his dramatization of the lighting, but wonder why he added lush foliage to this dry, dry landscape.

(below) Church’s studio….with Oriental carpets and velvet chairs. So he must have been a lot neater than I am. Most of the info on this blog came from the guide who gave the tour. She explained that Church came from a wealthy family and was a good money manager. His paintings sold well, and he died a wealthy man.

None of his four children was interested in keeping Olana, the furniture, artifacts and property ( my head spins around as I write this). A family friend raised money to buy the whole deal and keep it as a museum. So today, you can see it all pretty much as Church left it.

Info from the signs:

To learn more:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=attmZeJsGCk a 10 minute video that’s the next best thing to an actual visit.

https://www.olana.org/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olana_State_Historic_Site both have lots more info and images.

Stay Safe. Stay sane

Diane