The Woodland Bank, Hastings c. 1877 - 1885

Editor: This is George Inness’ "The Woodland Bank, Hastings." It feels unfinished, almost like a memory fading. What strikes you about this drawing? Curator: Fading, yes, like a half-remembered dream. Inness often blurred the line between observation and feeling. Notice how the trees aren't just trees, but rather spectral forms, guardians of a space we can only glimpse. Does it evoke a sense of peace, perhaps a touch of melancholy? Editor: Definitely a bit of both. It makes me wonder what he was trying to capture – the scene itself, or something more? Curator: Perhaps he sought to capture that ephemeral moment when the physical world dissolves into pure sensation, and the landscape whispers secrets only the soul can hear. What do you take away from that? Editor: I guess the beauty is in the feeling, not just the scene. Curator: Precisely! And that, my friend, is the heart of Inness.