George Inness

Tonalist painter George Inness (1825-1894), often called "the father of American landscape painting," developed an approach that emphasized mood and atmosphere over topographical accuracy. Born near Newburgh, New York, he evolved from the detailed style of the Hudson River School toward softer, more expressive landscapes. His mature work features rich colors, emotional intensity, and a spiritual quality influenced by the philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg. Over 1,150 paintings document his artistic journey from tight realism to atmospheric suggestion.

Inness trained briefly with several teachers before studying Old Masters in Rome and later encountering the Barbizon school during visits to France. His early work for the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, including "The Lackawanna Valley" (c.1855), showed his ability to integrate industrial subjects into pastoral settings. By the 1870s, his style had loosened considerably, with darker palettes and dissolved forms conveying mood rather than description. His Swedenborgian beliefs infused his landscapes with spiritual meaning. He died in Scotland while viewing a sunset, reportedly exclaiming "My God! Oh, how beautiful!" Today, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the National Gallery of Art hold major collections of his work.