Frederic Church (1826–1900) was arguably the most renowned artist of the Hudson River School, celebrating America with his grand canvases Niagara (The Corcoran) and Twilight in the Wilderness (The Cleveland Museum of Art).
Olana, the Persian-style villa Church designed with architect Calvert Vaux and the surrounding landscape that Church planned, is his most personal creation. Built between 1870 and 1891, the house is a wonderful early example of an Aesthetic movement interior. Olana holds Church’s collections, including pre-Columbian artifacts; Middle Eastern textiles; Chinese ceramics; Old Master paintings; as well as many of his own finished paintings and oil sketches for his masterpieces, Niagara and Heart of the Andes (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Masterfully arranged by the artist, Olana—house, landscape, and collections—is truly a work of art.