George Inness

George Inness (1825-1894), American landscape painter, born near Newburgh, New York State. He was largely self-taught but his style developed from his study of landscape painting on the many visits he made to Europe. At first he was influenced by the detailed, romantic depictions of nature of the Hudson River School, particularly the work of Asher B. Durand and Thomas Cole. The work of Inness's middle period reflects his interest in the French open-air painters of the Barbizon School and the work of John Constable. The charming Hackensack Meadows (1859, New York Public Library) exemplifies, in its more direct, colourful, and decorative treatment, his increasing feeling for mass over detail, and his fine mastery of space and atmosphere are revealed in The Delaware Valley (1865, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). He was made a full member of the National Academy of Design in 1868.

In 1878 Inness settled permanently in Montclair, New Jersey. He was particularly successful and famous during the last years of his life. Many of his landscapes of this period show a marked preference for the soft effects of early spring and the glowing russet hues of autumn.