The Edge of the Forest 1891

This oil on canvas, "The Edge of the Forest," was painted by George Inness in 1891. The forest, a recurring motif in art, often embodies the subconscious, a space of both peril and profound insight. Consider the figure dressed in white, positioned between the trees: a symbol echoing across centuries, from classical nymphs to fairytale heroines. White is a color associated with purity but also with spectral presence. It brings to mind the 'femme fatale' of Pre-Raphaelite art, spirits that lure men into nature’s wildness. The figure stands almost as an apparition, beckoning or warning us. The forest's edge can be likened to our own psychological thresholds, where the known meets the unknown. Inness masterfully captures the disquieting beauty of this liminal space, stirring a primeval resonance within us. The forest, the color white, they return in our collective memory.