Afterglow 1893

Editor: We’re looking at George Inness’s “Afterglow,” created in 1893 using oil paint. It's stunning – all these warm browns and golds make me feel like I'm watching the sunset over a field. What catches your eye most in this work? Curator: The title itself, "Afterglow," is key. Think about what “afterglow” signifies culturally: not just the literal fading light, but the lingering emotions and societal values associated with it. This was painted during a time of significant industrial change in America. Do you see how the romanticism in the art might be a response? Editor: I guess it could be! A romanticized memory of rural life... like a pushback against industrialization and the expansion of urban centres. The buildings are sort of lost in the dark though. Almost ignored. Curator: Exactly. Consider the role of museums and galleries in shaping what’s valued. A painting like this becomes a visual argument – a promotion of simpler agrarian values against the backdrop of complex societal shifts. But who had access to see these kinds of images, and what impact would it have? Editor: That’s interesting… it’s easy to get caught up in the beauty, but forget who got to experience that beauty, and how it reinforced social norms. It definitely makes me think about the artist's intentions differently, as a sort of political or societal commentary. Curator: And also how the cultural elite embraced such landscapes to possibly ease their anxiety about the working classes, since it omitted any working subjects in the frame. So the absence of people or evidence of their activities speaks volumes too! Editor: I hadn’t considered that omission… it adds a whole new layer to the interpretation. I'll definitely be considering the societal context when I look at landscape paintings from now on. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. It also brings attention to what is actively promoted and what’s excluded in art’s historical narratives.