George Inness
George Inness’s earliest paintings were made in the style of the Hudson River School. On a trip to France in 1853, however, he was exposed to the work of the Barbizon school of painters, who used a looser brushstroke and softer tonal qualities. He began painting landscapes with ethereal, atmospheric effects. The writings of Emanuel Swedenborg, which described the visual world as a metaphor for a higher metaphysical reality, also influenced him and became apparent in his paintings.
What emotional quality does the light in this painting suggest?
This painting attempts to convey the impression made upon Inness by the partially obscured glow of moonlight on trees and houses. The artist once explained, “The purpose of the painter is simply to reproduce in other minds the impression which a scene has made upon him. . . . [an artwork’s] aim is not to instruct, not to edify, but to awaken an emotion.”
Gift of Henry K.S. Williams
\ Also in this gallery
