Frederic Church considered Olana, his estate near Hudson, to be his artistic masterpiece. That’s why Scenic Hudson has worked so hard to protect the views from Church’s home and its surrounding carriage roads, all designed by him to maximize vistas of the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains.

But regardless of his personal opinion, Church is generally regarded as the leading painter of the Hudson River School, our nation’s first homegrown art movement. His depiction of the Hudson Highlands, a treasure in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, allows viewers to enjoy the Highlands’ rugged beauty — including Breakneck Ridge, on the painting’s far right — without expending an ounce of energy on a hiking trail.