1892
oil
canvas
From the collection of Art Institute of Chicago
Early Morning, Tarpon Springs is a 1892 oil by George Inness, a Hudson River School Movement work, held at Art Institute of Chicago.
The painting shows a small figure standing in a grove of trees at sunrise. The light is pale pink and blue, and the figure's clothes blend with the trees. The artist believed that nature had spiritual meaning, which he showed in his work. He used this idea to create a sense of harmony between the figure and the landscape. The result is a calm scene that feels peaceful. You can see more of this style by looking at the technique of glazing.
The light and landscape of Florida inspired George Inness’s Early Morning, Tarpon Springs . Amid the pale pinks and blues of sunrise, a miniscule figure stands in a grove of trees, harmonizing with the surrounding landscape. The color of his pants mirrors that of the tree trunks, and his red hat suggests a luminous, low sun. Believing that objects in the natural world were suffused with spiritual meaning, Inness incorporated the tenets of Swedenborgian Christianity into his work. Landscape painting, in turn, became a site for contemplation and religious experience.
Reinhardt Galleries, Chicago, 1911; sold to Edward B. Butler, Chicago, 1911; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1911.
Art Institute of Chicago, Two Centuries of American Art, 1750-1950 , Oct. 1, 1959–Jan. 10, 1960, no cat. [downloadable checklist available]. Art Institute of Chicago, Junior Museum: America and the Artist , Aug. 1, 1975–July 9, 1978, no cat. Ohio, Mansfield Art Center, The American Landscape, Mar. 8–Apr. 5, 1981, cat. 11. Nagaoka, Japan, Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, Shikago Bijutsukan Ten: Kindai Kaiga no 100–nen [Masterworks of Modern Art from the Art Institute of Chicago], Apr. 20–May 29, 1994, cat.; Nagoya, Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, June 10–July 24, 1994; Yokohama…
Read the full account in the museum source.
George Inness (May 1, 1825 – August 3, 1894) was an American landscape painter. Now recognized as one of the most influential American artists of the nineteenth century, Inness was influenced by the Hudson River School…
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