Artwork
Hillside at Étretat
Hillside at Étretat is an oil painting by the Hudson River School artist George Inness. It dates from 1876 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left: G. Inness 1876
About this work
Technique & Style
The artwork is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.
Created in 1876, Hillside at Étretat is an oil painting executed on canvas. The work measures 65.41 cm in height and 97.47 cm in width. As a landscape by George Inness, the piece utilizes oil paint as its primary medium applied to a woven fabric support, consistent with standard nineteenth-century painting practices.
The artwork is currently held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., having previously been part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1876, this canvas entered the market on 20 February 1879 when Leavitt Art Galleries in New York sold it as _Etretat, Coast of France_ to Edward N. Gibbs of New York. Gibbs subsequently bequeathed the work to his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gibbs Sherrill of Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, after which Childs Gallery in Boston handled its sale. The Corcoran Gallery of Art acquired the painting on 27 April 1959, and it remained in that institution’s collection until 2014, when the National Gallery of Art acquired it.
George Inness's Hillside at Étretat (1876) is currently held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it arrived in 2014 following the dissolution of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had acquired the work on April 27, 1959. Prior to its acquisition by the Corcoran, the painting passed through the hands of Edward N. Gibbs and his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gibbs Sherrill, in Massachusetts. Its public market history includes a sale at Leavitt Art Galleries in New York on February 20, 1879, where it was listed under the title Etretat, Coast of France, and a later appearance at Childs Gallery in Boston.
The work is cataloged within the National Gallery of Art's collection, having been transferred from the Corcoran Gallery of Art's holdings. While the painting was created in 1876, its documented exhibition or sale history begins with the 1879 New York auction before entering private collections in the Northeast.
Overview
George Inness’s 1876 oil on canvas entitled Hillside at Étretat presents a tranquil rural landscape. The composition is dominated by gentle, verdant hills that recede into the distance, intersected by a meandering path that guides the eye toward a softly lit sky. The work measures the quiet atmosphere of a countryside moment, rendered in a palette of muted greens, blues, and earth tones.
Subject & Meaning
At the foreground, a woman dressed in blue stands beside a modest flock of sheep, suggesting a pastoral routine. Further along the winding track, a solitary figure walks away, adding a narrative of movement and solitude. The surrounding trees and the delicate clouds above create a sense of harmony between human activity and the natural environment, emphasizing the calm of everyday life.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
