Sunny Autumn Day 1892

George Inness painted this canvas, Sunny Autumn Day, towards the end of his life in 1892. Inness was a leading figure in the development of an American landscape painting, one that attempted to reconcile direct observation with subjective experience. He came of age as a painter just as the Hudson River School was at its peak, but Inness sought to create a more personal and intimate vision of nature. As a young man, Inness became associated with the Swedenborgian church, which may have influenced the spiritual quality of his art. Later in life, he was also inspired by French Barbizon painters. Inness’ landscapes were created at a time of rapid industrialisation in the United States. As such, his paintings present a vision of the natural world as a refuge from the stresses of modern life. In order to understand Inness better, scholars have looked to period writings on art and nature, popular magazines, and religious tracts. The meaning of art is always contingent on social and institutional context.