| « Previous | Home | Next » | Olana, Home of Frederic Church, Artist Sunday, July 31, 2005 |
 I awoke at the usual hour this morning and felt a need to hit the road and shoot some pictures. I have been meaning to visit the Olana State Historic Site, so today was the day. This was the home of one of the most famous of the Hudson River School of painters during the mid-19th century. A student of Thomas Cole, Church was perhaps most famous for 'Niagara,' 1857 and 'Heart of the Andes,' 1859. The house was built in the late 1860's and early 1870's after Church and his family spent 18 months touring the Middle East. Church had become fascinated with 'Persian' architecture and designed the home in the Persian Style with lots of tile details, intricate designs, and a central room that mimics the central court of many Middle Eastern homes. The home site commands a spectacular view southwards down the Hudson River (pictures of that to follow tomorrow and later). The house stayed in the Church family after his death in 1900 until the mid 1960s when a group of private citizens raised money to save the home. Unable to raise sufficient funds, they turned to the State of New York to assist. According to the tour guide I had, they bought the home, its 200+ acre property, and all contents (including many works of art by Church, Cole, and many others) for about $475,000. It was worth the trip down, and I will be posting more pictures in the next few days. Pic of the Day: I just liked the great colors in this shot. | |
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Posted by forgingahead Archived under: Architecture, History, Landscapes, Places |
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