Frederick Church was famous during his lifetime for his spectacular landscapes which he traveled the world to create. His paintings of icebergs and of the Northern Lights are among the images that spark continuing interest in his work. Church designed and built a home 0n a 250 acre estate near Hudson, New York. He named this home "Olana" after a treasure house in ancient Persia, and lived there for 20 yeaars. The ornate house reflects Church's interest in Persian culture.
Charleston was the home and country meeting place for the writers, painters and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group. The interior was painted by the artists Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell, and together with their collection forms a unique example of their decorative style. The house is open to visitors. There is also an exhibition gallery showing contemporary and historical shows of fine and decorative art, a bookstore, tea room, and special events.
The website is quite large, and through it you can explore the life and influence of the Bloomsbury Group. There are also links to arts activities in the local area.
The Giorgio de Chirico House-Museum opened to the public 20 years after the artist's death. Giorgio de Chirico's house occupies the three upper floors of the historic 17th Century Palazzetto dei Borgognoni, situated in Piazza di Spagna, Rome. Bought in 1947, the artist and his wife, Isabella Pakzswer Far, lived there from 1948 onwards, during which time they enlarged the house through additional purchases of property. The website covers the life and work of de Chirico, with the House Museum included.
The René Magritte Museum occupies the house in which the Belgian surrealist painter worked nearly 24 years of his life. His apartment is on the ground floor where he and his wife Georgette lived from 1930 to 1954, as well as a biographical exhibition dedicated to the painter. In addition to the space Magritte rented and where he produced much of his mature work, there are two floors of exhibit spaces where you can find documents and works of art that trace the life and art of Magritte and the surrealists.
The Giverny estate of Claude Monet is well known and eagerly visited. This website makes it easy to plan a visit, or to visit from where you are.
Albin Polasek, a sculptor, was born in the region now known as the Czech Republic in 1879. He came to the US, became a citizen, and had a long career teaching at the Art Institute of Chacago. He was widely respected, and an important figure in 19th century sculpture in the US. His work drew on the rich folklore of the country where he was born, and combined it with the rigorous technical excellence that was known in figurative sculpture of the time. In 1950 he retired to Winter Park, Florida. His house is now a museum where you can get to know his work.
Anyone interested about Pollock, Krasner, or abstract expressionism should visit the home Pollock and Krasner lived in, and where they created their most important work. This site is a good place to plan such a trip. The house also has a research library and the materials archived in the library are listed in the website. There are also links to sites of interest to those researching the art of these artists.
Studio Museums