In the early 1800s, artists and writers came to the Catskill Mountains to paint and write about the natural beauty they found there. The majestic mountains, the waterfalls, the valleys, and the creeks – and the wildlife that inhabited the area – captivated these painters. Two of the artists were Thomas Cole (1801-1848) and Frederic Church (1826-1900). Just a few miles apart from each other, on either side of the Hudson River, their homes are two of the treats to visit when in the area. My husband and I visited both homes as well as some other sites that are related to Cole and Church in the area. It was fascinating to learn more about America’s first major art movement, view some of its incredible paintings, and explore some of the landscapes that led artists to the area.
Thomas Cole and his contemporaries were fascinated with the grandeur of the landscapes in the area. Their paintings began an artistic movement in the United States. This movement was dubbed – many years later – the Hudson River School. Although many of the early painters focused on the Hudson River region, the name Hudson River School actually applied to the painting style regardless of the actual location of the artists’ subjects.
Thomas Cole taught Frederic Church in the mid-1840s, and Church became part of the second generation of artists who created American landscape masterpieces. Church went on to be one of the foremost landscape painters and traveled the world. His paintings reflected the different lands and cultures he visited. While traveling, he collected objects and ideas that influenced his home, Olana, which is perched atop a hill overlooking the Hudson River.
Thomas Cole National Historic Site, Catskill
218 Spring Street, Catskill | 518-943-7465
Thomas Cole was a British-born painter whose family immigrated to the United States in 1818. Cole was inspired by the incredible natural beauty in the Catskill area and painted landscapes depicting what he saw. Furthermore, Cole was an environmentalist who had much disdain for how humans were developing the land. For example, some saw the building of railroads as progress. Not so for Cole. In fact, he was concerned about the effects of industrial development on the pristine wilderness. In addition to landscapes, Cole painted works that reflected his Christian faith. He moved into this home (now the Thomas Cole National Historic Site) on the western side of the Hudson River after marrying Maria who lived there with her family.
Visiting the Thomas Cole House
As soon as you step foot on the home’s wraparound porch, you are faced with some of the incredible views that inspired Cole’s paintings. The interior of the house is furnished much as it was when Thomas Cole lived there. The guided tour includes unique digital storytelling elements and some of his works. Also on site are Cole’s 1839 Old Studio as well as his 1846 New Studio (that now houses special exhibitions). Reserve tickets in advance of your visit. Before your visit, you may want to view YouTube videos of Thomas Cole as well as the house where he lived.
Walking From Thomas Cole’s House to Olana
You can walk along the Hudson River Skywalk on the Rip Van Winkle Bridge from Thomas Cole’s house in Catskill to Frederic Church’s magnificent home, Olana. It’s a pedestrian walkway that connects Catskill with Hudson and is about a six-mile round trip. The other option, of course, is to drive from one property to another.
Frederic Church’s Olana State Historic Site, Hudson
5720 State Route 9G, Hudson | 518-751-0344
Frederic Church’s home, Olana is an artistic masterpiece in itself. Church painted landscapes, of course, but he also created a home that was influenced by his travels and landscapes that would delight his family and visitors. At the time Church purchased the land, it was farmland. He had Olana constructed on over 200 acres of land that includes a pond and rolling hills. From the western side of the home, the Church family could soak in the incredible beauty of the Hudson River as well as the peaks of the Catskill Mountains in the distance.
Frederic spent much of his time painting, of course, but he also was a self-taught architect and landscape designer. In fact, Frederic meticulously planned Just about every square inch of the house and grounds. Much of the home is decorated as it was when Frederic and his wife, Isabel, lived there. The exterior and interior were inspired by travels to Asia and the Middle East. For example, the interior doors are stenciled and objects from their travels are placed all around the interior. In addition, the windows and covered porch were designed to take advantage of the amazing views across the Hudson River.
Exploring Outside Olana
Visitors can enjoy the explore the five miles of carriage roads from 8:00 am to sunset every day. There is no charge to walk the grounds. Admission is charged for tours of the house itself. Leashed dogs are welcome.
Walk in the Painters’ Footsteps
If you want to explore other places that served as an inspiration to the Hudson River School painters, check out the Hudson River School Art Trail. That site encourages visitors to “step into a landscape painting” and lists nearby places to visit that the Hudson River School artists painted. One spectacular vista – and a popular subject of several painters – is Kaaterskill Falls, a 260-foot waterfall in Hunter – about 17 miles from Catskill, the location of Thomas Cole’s home. There is a viewing platform less than a half mile from the parking lot on Laurel House Road, off Route 218. From the platform, you can view the impressive falls. There are several hundred steps down to the bottom of the falls from the top. If hiking is your thing, you may want to include some of the 23.9-mile adjacent Escarpment Trail. Check out AllTrails for hiking trail details.
Vanderbilt Mansion, Hyde Park
View the busts of Hudson River School greats Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Cole, Sanford Gifford, and Thomas Moran. They’re located in the formal gardens at the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site in Hyde Park, New York. The grounds are open to the public at no charge, and guided tours of the mansion are also available.
Nearby Museum Visits
View paintings by Hudson River School artists at the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, and/or the Albany Institute of History and Art in Albany.
Final Thoughts
My husband and I found our time in the Hudson River area so interesting as we visited the homes of Thomas Cole and Frederic Church as well as other nearby related places. Those two painters were amazingly talented and captured landscapes so vividly.
Visiting Kaaterskill Falls was a fun excursion — especially knowing that it was a destination and subject of several of the Hudson River School artists. Had we had more time, we would have driven to some of the other recommended outdoor spaces that inspired the artists and writers of the mid-19th century.. (Remember to check out the Hudson River School Art Trail mentioned earlier in this article if you’d like to explore some other subjects of the well-known paintings.) We were surprised to find the busts of some Hudson River School painters at the Vanderbilt mansion garden. If you’re in that area, you may consider a tour of the Gilded Age Vanderbilt mansion itself. Our tour was quite interesting as we observed the opulence they valued in their country estate and learned more about that storied family.
Comments?
Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences from a visit to the Hudson River Valley area. Your comments could help other travelers. 🙂
