Olana State Historic Site, Hudson, NY

The Hudson River School of art has been my favorite fine art genre since I studied founder Thomas Cole’s stunning Voyage of Life paintings as a young art major in school.

Such deep, dramatic, and luminous paintings these artists produced in the mid to late 19th century! As a matter of fact, their paintings were so wildly romantic and lustrous that a new genre spawned from their works: luminism. Luminism seemed very appropos for the period– a time of exceptional industry and invention but also a time of rising utilitarianism with the tragedies of the Civil War punctuating the century. These artists brought us back to the simple treasures of nature, where man is at peace with God’s good creation. Far from exalting nature as a Shangri-La type of deity like Voltaire so erroneously extolled, these artists emphasized nature as the beautiful, inspirational backdrop for peace with God and other men, celebrating with art the psalmist’s cries, “Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows forth knowledge” (Psalm 19:2).

Many of the Hudson River School paintings depict clear scenes or illusory hints of Biblical themes and events. I love the Voyage of Life series because of the stories each painting tells, that of a man eventually finding his faith in God and the joys of heaven after a tempestuous life of sorrow. It’s simply…. beautiful.

Frederic Edwin Church was a young student of the illustrious Cole, staying with Cole’s family in Catskill, NY, and studying painting. This area of New York State bursts with inspiration, as it has been the birthplace of such legendary notables as Rip Van Winkle, Uncle Sam, and numerous other tales of fact and fiction.

Church was born in 1826 in Connecticut. Early on, his artwork showed immense talent. In 1848, he became the youngest associate of the National Academy of Design, an honor he still retains. Church married Isabel Carnes in 1860, and the couple purchased a parcel of land with magnificent views overlooking the Hudson River, the Catskill Mountains and the Taconic Hills.

The couple built a simple little cottage that they named “Cozy Cottage.” The structure still stands, but it is not available to tourists.

Two children were born early on to the young couple: Herbert in 1862 and Emma in 1864. Church painted two beautiful works after the birth of the children: Sunrise for Herbert and Moonrise for Emma. (See the two small images at the beginning of this post). Tragically, both children died in 1864 from diphtheria, and the parents never completely recovered from the horrible loss. Even after four more children were born to the Church family in later years, Frederic hung his Sunrise and Moonrise paintings in the family room, next to the fireplace where he often brooded and mused.

The family traveled all over the world, returning home with crates crammed with furniture and knick-knacks. Construction of a new home, perched high atop the mountain, had begun in 1867. Church designed the home himself in an eccentric mish-mash of Persian, Moorish, and Victorian styles. The home is colorful and lively. I just adore the design. Read more

Fountain Elms Historic Site, Utica

Over the summer of 2007, we visited Utica, NY, to have a look at Fountain Elms on Genesee Street. The Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute was also having their July Arts Festival. Fountain Elms is a lovely Victorian Italianate home built by a prominent Utica family. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Houses. The MWP Institute beside it was designed by architect Phillip Johnson.

We’ve been through Fountain Elms several times in the past, I just never had my camera with me. Yet even with my camera, the home’s rooms were far too dark for any quality photos my WalMart special could snap. Better interior pictures are found here and here. Strikeslip from Faultlines has a lovely
Fountain Elms photo in his online portfolio, here.

Fountain Elms is now a misnomer. There are no more elms. Once, streets of America were lined with these arching giants. The beautiful elm tree, nurtured here in the Northeast for hundreds of years, fell to Dutch elm disease in the 50s. A tiny Asian beetle with a fungus devastated one of our most beautiful trees, and laid waste our towns’ streets.

An old newspaper clipping from the 40s that I own has a photograph of one of the largest elm trees in town, on the property I own. The trunk’s diameter was over 7 feet wide. A girl, her bicycle, and her young brother are dwarfed by the massive tree. All that remains of the tree is it’s mossy footprint in my front yard where it once stood.Fountain Elms of Utica lost its elm trees, too. Valiant efforts have been made to plant locust and ash trees around the property.

Fountain Elms was the dwelling of one of the most wealthy and philanthropic families of Utica. It was purchased by James and Helen (Munson) Williams for their daughter, Maria, as a wedding gift for her marriage to Thomas Proctor. Helen’s sister Rachel and her husband Frederick Proctor (Thomas’ half-brother) lived in a house next door, but that house is demolished now. A museum, the Munson-Williams-Proctor Institute is built adjoining Fountain Elms. A glass walkway connects the two buildings.

The museum houses one of my favorite works of art, Thomas Cole’s “Voyage of Life” series. Unfortunately, the museum now has a more modernistic bent in its art, and, IMHO, the museum is a warehouse of mostly clunky and indecent projects. Surely there remain some beautiful and uplifting works of elegance, but I am dissatisfied with what is has become, overall.

Displayed outside during the Art Festival, we saw some lovely paintings and photographs. I especially liked this watercolor:

and this acrylic:

Fountain Elms houses some beautiful pieces that were part of the Proctors’ collections. The two ladies and their husbands traveled abroad extensively, and amassed a large collection– enough to fill a, well, a museum! Here’s a sweet painting of Rachel and Maria when they were young:

The Proctor men had a nice watch collection, too. The trinkets and knick-knacks are truly exquisite. This website has an informative essay on the watch collection and more on the history of the family.

The furniture of the house is breath-takingly beautiful. No indeed, they don’t make things like these anymore!

A display of handmade quilts had me wowed. Imagine sewing these by hand! I loved the indigo colors of this one:

The museum has a lovely backyard, replete with park benches, trees, and quaint outbuildings (which are now academies for the museum’s art students). The portico of Fountain Elms is lovely. I can see the Victorian ladies in their swishing bustles, sipping tea in the afternoon shade.

Most of the house seemed historically accurate, except I did wonder if the window awnings were a modern inclusion, perhaps to keep the destructive sun rays off the artifacts. in the olden days, people used things like blinds and exterior shutters. I was also fascinated by the architectural features of the skinny chimney.

The Proctors saved the city during times of financial panic. They also donated some of their property for the Utica Public Library, one of my favorite libraries (for it has a terrific collection). Fountain Elms is well worth seeing. We like it because it is free, nearby, and has a little bit of something for everyone. No doubt we will return again!