Church’s art takes form as Persian villa

By Evelyn D. Trebilcock
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

On Oct. 17, 1846, from Hartford, Conn., Church wrote to Cole: “The recollection of the blue mountains is as fresh and vivid to me as the day I last saw them.”

At the first public exhibition of ‘‘Heart of the Andes’’ in 1859, Church met his future wife, Isabel Carnes. After their marriage in 1860, Church bought property across the Hudson River from Cole’s house, a piece of land from which he and Cole had sketched. In 1867, Church bought more land and in 1870 began to build his architectural masterpiece, Olana, near Hudson in Columbia County.

Even though Calvert Vaux was hired as the architect, Olana and landscape were Church’s creation. Approximately 600 sketches and stencils, as well as many letters, document his vision, which was inspired by the Churches’ 1867-1868 trip to the Middle East.

The result is a “Persian-style” villa commanding breathtaking views of the Hudson River. Jervis McEntee visited Olana in 1872 and recorded in his diary: “It looks like an artist’s work.”

Olana is open to the public April 1 through Nov. 1, Wednesday through Sunday, plus holidays.