: ON-HUDSON, N.Y. - Nestled among the steep cliffs above the gritty
Hudson River waterfront is a most unexpected aerie that was once
the home of painter Jasper Francis Cropsey (1823-1900). The
pleasing yellow and white Gothic Revival cottage, meticulously
restored by and now the home of the Newington-Cropsey Foundation,
has become a rich repository of the artist's oil paintings,
watercolors and sketches.
The homestead has come full circle since Cropsey moved into it in
the 1880s, having been sold from the family in the early
Twentieth Century, only to be reacquired by Barbara Newington,
Cropsey's great-granddaughter. With the purchase, Newington and
her husband established the foundation more than a quarter
century ago. Since that time, they have added galleries, studios
and an academy to the property.
The galleries and studios have been filled with Cropsey's best
works, the academy filled with students. Lush gardens were
planted, inviting paths wind among the impressive buildings and
the lavish manufactured pond. Their efforts have created an
unprecedented testament to the Hudson River School master and the
effect is extraordinary.
