Situated on a hilltop with expansive views of the Hudson River, Catskill Mountains, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont stands grand a Persian-style mansion built in 1872. This was the proud estate of Frederic Edwin Church, one of the most prominent American landscape painters of the late 19th century. Its intricate ceramic mosaics, maroon and dijon yellow arches, and pillars, inspired by Church's travels through Beirut, Jerusalem and Damascus, are reminiscent of a summer villa you might expect to find in the Middle East. Its shockingly different from the other homes in the area built during that time and even today.
The land it sits on is no less magnificent. Its a 250-acre park with thousands of native trees, a man-made lake, and miles of carriage drives that were used for galavanting around the property. Church named it Olana after a fortress-treasure house in ancient Greater Persia which also overlooked a river valley. For the artist, the property was a dream come true and became his haven for work and play. Over the years, him and his wife Isabel used it to host notable artists and literary figures from sculptor Erastus Dow Palmer to author Mark Twain.
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| Frederic Edwin Church, Clouds Over Olana, 1872, oil on paper |
The home is still considered one of the most noteworthy architectural masterpieces in the state. Over 700 works by Church and thousands of paintings, drawings, and photographs by other artists are displayed inside. Just the sublime views looking out over the Hudson Valley make it worth a visit.
For information on visiting Olana click here
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