Moonrise 1887

George Inness painted Moonrise with oil on canvas. The application of paint is surprisingly delicate, considering Inness's known preference for reworking surfaces. There are areas of impasto, where the paint is thickly applied, but mostly he relies on subtle gradations of tone to create a moody atmosphere. Inness was deeply influenced by the Barbizon school of French landscape painting, which emphasized direct observation and a connection to the land. Yet he wasn't merely copying nature; he was using the medium of oil paint to evoke a feeling, a spiritual essence. We see this in the softening of forms, the way the moon bleeds into the sky, and the generalized forms of the trees. The lone figure, a humble element within the scene, emphasizes the human connection to nature. Inness was interested in Transcendentalism, a philosophical movement that saw nature as a conduit to the divine. The work asks us to consider the human labor that goes into landscape. The painting is a reminder that art is not just about representation, but also about the transformation of materials and the expression of deeply held beliefs.