The Hyde Collection

The Hyde Collection is named for the couple who founded it and constitutes a fine small museum combining an historic house containing a permanent world-​class exhibition of European and American Art dating primarily from the early Renaissance through the early 1900’s, together with a modern wing which features changing exhibitions drawn from their own holdings as well as traveling shows. Those who know the much larger and more famous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, MA will recognize the format, with a sun-​filled central garden court surrounded by nine rooms on two floors containing historic furnishing which provide the setting for an art collection formed by collectors who could not usually afford «the biggest,» but always sought to buy examples of «the best.»
Some of the works have been re-​attributed to «school of» in recent decades, but paintings on display include several fine 14^th century Italian panels, works by Tintoretto and Veronese, a St. James the Less by El Greco, fine small works by Rubens and van Dyck, a full-​size Rembrandt (Christ with Arms Folded), plus small canvases by the likes of Ingres, Courbet, Renoir and Picasso, as well as by Americans including Bierstadt, Eakins, Vedder and Hassam. Sculptures range from an ancient Greek Mourning Woman through a Degas horse; assorted tapestries are also displayed.
An elevator allows handicap access to most of the house. There is a (very small) gift shop, but no food service. There is a small garden with lovely plantings behind the house. The Hyde Collection provides a valuable cultural resource to an area with little in the way of classical art on display and has in recent years benefited from several major gifts of 20^th century art (which are increasingly drawn on for special exhibits) and which reflect the esteem with which it is regarded by those who have come to know it. For those who love such art, it is a collection worth seeing in person (we have been stopping by each summer for several years), particularly since the printed guide to the collection was issued a generation ago and can be difficult to obtain on the second-​hand market.

As residents of Saratoga Springs we consider the Hyde Collection a small gem at the entrance to the North Country. They have an exceptional line-​up of exhibits, so much so, that I became a member … beautiful home to walk-​thru and see true masterpieces collected by this wonderful family.
Its a great way to spend the afternoon, and have a drink in the downtown

My Dad and my sister had scheduled a trip from Saratoga Springs, NY up to Glens Falls, to go see the Hyde Museum /​Art Collection, and I was very delighted to join them. The drive north into the Adirondack Mountains was spectacular, and we caught the tail end of the Fall colors as we wandered north along Rte. 9. The Hyde House is actually an Italian marble Renaissance-​style mansion located just north of the Hudson River which flows through this picturesque town in upstate NY.
Charlotte Pruyn Hyde was born in Glens Falls, New York into one of the leading industrialist families of the Adirondack region. Her father, Samuel Pruyn [of Dutch ancestry, pronounced «Prine”], co-​founded a paper manufacturing company on the banks of the river, and thus established the foundation of the family’s wealth. Charlotte and her husband built this beautiful mansion and the adjoining art gallery to showcase their love of fine art. The pieces that you’ll see in the museum are a product of the golden age of the private art collector (c. 1890 to 1940).
Their collection contains historic furniture, books, paintings, sculptures and pottery all displayed within their two-​story museum-​like home. You’ll also see an impressive and broad collection including Italian Renaissance and eighteenth-​century French antiques, and works by Botticelli, El Greco, van Dyck, Ingres, Raphael, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tintoretto, Cézanne, Degas, Matisse, Picasso, Renoir, and van Gogh. In addition, works by important American artists including Eakins, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Ryder, and Whistler are also present. (These folks had some SERIOUS money!)
Adjacent to the Hyde House is the Barnes Wing which exhibits modern and contemporary art as part of its changing exhibition program. Our main reason for visiting the Hyde Museum was to view the impressive works of a family friend, Anne Diggory, and to enjoy her style of «hybrid vision». Anne is a popular Adirondack artist, best known for her ability to blend together photography, digital manipulation, and painting. Her mixed media artworks are stunning images of landscapes, and the adjoining information plaques describe how she layers several photographs over some onsite paintings, and then blends the detail with her brush. I took a lot of photos of Anne’s work as it’s really quite unique and very beautiful.
The Hyde is a great place to spend the afternoon enjoying the artwork and all of the antiques. They offer a number of art appreciation programs and art classes to the community. It’s well-​worth the drive if you happen to be in the area.

Nasty experience: at the entrance, I asked if photography was OK, and if it was OK to endter the galleries with my small back back, and told that it was OK. while in the museum, a staff member was walking through, confronted me, DEMANDED to know why I had the backpack, sine they were not perminted. I told him that I asked, and was told it was OK, but would go immediately to the entrance and check it. He spoke to me in a confronting and hostile manner, the MARCHED me to the front of the museum, when he was told by the attendant that he did, in fact, think it was OK for me to enter with the back pack. Interestingly, no one in the lobby sought to help me, and I suppose they thought the was I was treated was acceptable. I left, and didn’t reenter, since I wasn’t wanted there. THESE ARE NASTY PEOPLE.

Stopped by for a look around, and had a pleasant time. A great mix of furniture, art, and architecture. Walking through different rooms, you find interacting things in spurts.
Art came in many styles and really was fun to see different types.
The price was fair. The facility was clean and easy to navigate. We spent about an hour and a half. We very much enjoyed this outing.

A true gem! I didn’t do my homework so I had no idea which pieces of art resided here and so each room was a lovely surprise. My favorite part of the building is of course the enclosed courtyard. Interested in art, then by all means make this collection a destination.

Eh Kinda Boring.
As an artist I need some direction and even though this museum is essentially a former mansion converted into a museum with pieces ranging from fabric & clothes and furniture and paintings from the classical period it still seemed like a jumbled mess and we were in and out pretty quick.
The revolving exhibit space featured outstanding work from local High Schools. Another perfect example as to why the arts SHOULDN’T disappear in our schools.

Don’t miss the current special exhibit celebrating the museum’s 50^th anniversary.

We went to see the ansel Adams show. Excellent, and the rest of the place
Is a gem too.

A quirky little museum in a former mansion. Traveling exhibits are shown in a «white box» annex. The permanent collection is a smörgåsbord, from a small Botticelli (on a table, no less!) to Albert Pinkham Ryder. Right now, there’s a small show of works by Elihu Vedder, a couple of which are knockout studies.
Go behind the museum for a look at four-​story high piles of freshly cut timber.