William Coleman, Director of Collections and Exhibitions, The Olana Partnership

When the artist Frederic Church commenced work in 1860 on the 250-acre masterpiece of landscape art we know as Olana, he entered into a journey of landscape and architectural design, farm management, tree planting, road building, and view shaping on a monumental scale that would continue until his death in 1900. Not least, this property provided a base for the formation and installation of a remarkable collection of global art and artifacts that has come down to us intact. This lecture will offer an overview of this best preserved 19th-century artist's environment, the decorative arts collections at its heart, and the creative world into which it provides a rare lens.

The Living Room at Olana

Dining Room at Olana

Images: Courtesy of The Olana Partnership