Inness, George (1825-1894), was an American landscape painter. During his long career, Inness painted in a variety of styles, ranging from objective, realistic landscapes to deeply personal interpretations of nature.
Inness’ early landscapes were carefully composed, detailed works influenced by a group of American landscape artists called the Hudson River School. In 1854, Inness visited France, where he saw the paintings of a group of landscape artists called the Barbizon School. These artists painted in a looser style than the Hudson River School. Under the influence of the Barbizon School, Inness tried to create fresh, direct impressions of nature. One of Inness’ finest works in this style is Peace and Plenty (1865), a broadly brushed scene of a harvest.
During the 1860’s, Inness adopted the mystical religious ideas of the Swedish philosopher Emanuel Swedenborg. Instead of painting clear, straightforward landscapes, Inness attempted to express a more spiritual and melancholy attitude toward nature. He painted poetic, misty scenes in which solid objects were reduced to blurred smudges. In The Coming Storm (1878) and other works, Inness tried to portray the passing moods of nature and the emotions they aroused.
Inness was born on May 1, 1825, on a farm near Newburgh, New York. He died on Aug. 3, 1894. His son, George Inness, Jr., was also a noted landscape painter.
