Inness, George (1825–1894)

US landscape painter. He was influenced by the Hudson River School. His early works, such as The Delaware Valley (1865; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), are on a grand scale and show a concern for the natural effects of light. Later he moved towards Impressionism.

Inness was largely self-taught, though he profited by the study of Corot and the Barbizon painters on his frequent visits to Europe. This influence seems to have directed him away from the spacious panoramas of American Romantic landscape to a more intimate, naturalistic approach. The Lackawanna Valley (1855; Washington, National Gallery) and Peace and Plenty (1865) (New York, Metropolitan Museum) are among his finest works.