A Marine c. 1874 - 1875

George Inness painted this marine scene, sometime during his career which stretched from 1825 to 1894. Inness, a prominent figure in the American landscape painting tradition, lived through a period of immense social and environmental change. His art often grapples with the tension between industrial progress and the natural world. "A Marine" embodies this tension, depicting a rugged coastline, where the ocean meets the land. Inness uses a somber palette of greens and grays which evokes a sense of romantic awe. Two birds are barely visible above the horizon. Yet there is something more complex going on here. Inness was deeply invested in the philosophy of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose spiritualism emphasized the interconnectedness of nature and the divine. The rocky coast, the moody sky, and the churning sea become metaphors for the emotional and spiritual turbulence of human experience, while the small birds hint at a quiet freedom. Inness asks us to consider our place within the larger systems of the natural world, and how we can make space for change.