George Inness (1825-1894) was one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century. Born in Newburgh, New York to a family of farmers, he began his career as a map engraver - but during that time he attracted the attention of other career painters, with whom he later studied. He took classes at the National Academy of Design and went on to open his own studio in 1848. His works toed the line between realism and impressionism, and he garnered a reputation for his mature compositions, colors, and brushwork, drawing from his own life experiences and several trips overseas to Italy and France.
According to his son, he passed away while viewing the sunset, when he "threw his hands up into the air and exclaimed, 'My God! Oh, how beautiful!' fell to the ground, and died minutes later." He left behind a large body of work which is currently on display in museums nationwide, including the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Montclair Art Museum, the last of which has 24 works by Inness and a gallery dedicated to him.
Oil on Canvas 8 x 13 ″
George Inness (1825-1894) was one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century. Born in Newburgh, New York to a family of farmers, he began his career as a map engraver - but during that time he attracted the attention of other career painters, with whom he later studied. He took classes at the National Academy of Design and went on to open his own studio in 1848. His works toed the line between realism and impressionism, and he garnered a reputation for his mature compositions, colors, and brushwork, drawing from his own life experiences and several trips overseas to Italy and France.
According to his son, he passed away while viewing the sunset, when he "threw his hands up into the air and exclaimed, 'My God! Oh, how beautiful!' fell to the ground, and died minutes later." He left behind a large body of work which is currently on display in museums nationwide, including the Met, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Yale University Art Gallery, and the Montclair Art Museum, the last of which has 24 works by Inness and a gallery dedicated to him.
