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Visiting the Hudson River School

New York's Cedar Grove, Olana, and the Hudson School Art Trail

Dec 1, 2008 Craig Sanders

Fans of American history and art are welcome to explore the many sights of the Hudson River Art Trail, including the homes of artists Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.

The Hudson River School of art was the first true art movement in the new nation of America. Beginning shortly after America began settling westward, it expressed a reverence for the wild, untouched nature of America represented by the Catskill Mountains of New York.

Many of the sites associated with the Hudson River School are still available for tourism. Two of the most popular are Cedar Grove and Olana, the respective homes of painters Thomas Cole and Frederic Church.

Cole, Church, and the Hudson River School

The Hudson River School developed in the early 19th century, and is sometimes associated with the Transcendentalism of 19th century American Literature. Thomas Cole, regarded as the founder of the school, first traveled up the Hudson River in 1825, and was awed by the untouched landscape.

From Cedar Grove, his home in the Catskills, Cole developed a style that represented pristine nature as divine manifestation. Cole passed the style on to his apprentices, most prominent of them is Frederic Edwin Church, whose home, Olana, has recently been restored and is open for tours.

Cedar Grove, Birthplace of the Hudson River School

Cedar Grove, also known as the Thomas Cole National Historic Site, is located in the artsy town of Catskill, not far from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge. Cole first came here in 1825 as a boarder on the farm. Eventually, he married the farmer’s daughter and became a permanent resident.

At Cedar Grove a visitor can see the house and grounds where Cole created his life work. On the porch is a guide for the mountain peaks in the distance so that a visitor can identify the sights. The grounds also house a gallery of Cole’s work and the works of other Hudson River artists.

Cedar Grove is available for tours from May to October, Thursday - Sunday from 10AM to 4PM. Cedar Grove often has special exhibits during the year. Cedar Grove will be participating the New York’s Quadricentennial celebration in 2009 with special events related to it.

Olana, Home of Artist Frederic Church

Frederic Church lived and painted in Olana, a Persian styled homestead overlooking the Catskills and Hudson River, as magnificent as any of the mansions along the river.

Olana is located in Hudson, New York, just a mile from the Rip Van Winkle Bridge on the opposite side from Cedar Grove. Its location provides magnificent views of the surrounding area, the same area immortalized in his paintings and sketches.

The grounds of Olana are open year round, the house is open Wednesday through Sunday. Tours of the house often sell out, so reservations are highly recommended. Olana also offers special programs for schools through their on-site and outreach programs.

The copyright of the article Visiting the Hudson River School in Historical Travel is owned by Craig Sanders. Permission to republish Visiting the Hudson River School in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.