This painting is included in the new catalogue raisonne of the works of George Inness by Michael Quick.

The best work of George Inness is often the hardest to categorize. A seminal figure of 19th Century American art, Inness is frequently linked to the Hudson River School. But most of his mature work stands in stark contrast to the elaborately detailed, grand vistas of many Hudson River artists. Strongly influenced by a trip to France and the work of the Barbizon painters, Inness became a painter of intimate landscapes that emphasized human interaction with nature. As in this picture, his palette became muted, his brushstrokes softer, emphasizing mood over detail.

Inness said he wanted his art to awaken emotions in people. His work has been described as poetry on canvas: reaching for a dreamlike quality that celebrated nature and man’s place in it. Though his brushwork often appeared loose, his paintings were elaborate, careful constructions—often worked and re-worked several times until the artist felt he had it just right.

Virtually every major museum of 19th Century American paintings includes the work of George Inness, including the Metropolitan Museum, the National Gallery, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Art Institute of Chicago, which has twenty of his works in their permanent collection.