Hudson River School of Art

Founded by painter, poet and essayist Thomas Cole, the Hudson River School was a mid -19^th century American art movement embodied by a group of landscape painters in the Catskill Region. Inspired by romanticism, the pristine landscape paintings depicted the Hudson River Valley and the Catskill Mountains - and were unlike any yet seen in America.

A native of England, Thomas Cole traveled up the Hudson River to the Catskills by steamship in the autumn of 1825, the same year as the Erie Canal opened. He eventually settled in the Catskill Mountains and began painting landscapes of the area as he found the brilliant autumn hues of the area inspirational. Cole's close friend, Asher Durand, became a prominent figure in the school as well, particularly when the banknote-engraving business evaporated in the Panic of 1837.

Now a historic site, the former home of Thomas Cole is open to visitors. Guided tours are available of Cole's home and studio. The house contains galleries of oil paintings and prints as well as rooms with Cole artifacts and period furnishings. Visitors can view a film about his art, and stroll through the flower gardens to see Cole's sweeping view of the Catskill Mountains. You can also take in a special lecture about the Hudson River School or join a guided Catskills hike to the magnificent places seen in Thomas Cole's paintings on the Hudson River Art Trail.

The Hudson River Art Trail takes hikers to many of the places that inspired the painters who created the first great American art movement. It is a 3-4 hour guided tour that starts at Cedar Grove, the home of Thomas Cole and takes hikers on a journey to sites in the Catskill Mountains. The tour includes stops at North-South Lakes and Kaaterskill Falls-areas made famous by Hudson River School artists such as Cole, Durand, Frederic Church, Sanford Gifford, Jasper Cropsey and others.