Born near Newburgh, NY on May 1, 1825. Inness grew up in Newark, NJ where he ran a grocery store with his father. Other than brief study with an itinerant artist, he remained a self-taught artist. Two trips to Italy and France during the 1850s greatly influenced his future work. In 1891 he spent several months in San Francisco where he painted in the studio of Wm Keith. He and Keith painted in similar styles and both were influenced by the philosophy of Swedenborg. The two artists sketched on the Monterey Peninsula and in Yosemite and co-exhibited at Rabjohn & Morcom’s. During his brief stay, Inness was greatly honored by the San Francisco Art Ass’n. A giant in American art, he died while visiting in Scotland on Aug. 3, 1894. Exh: NAD from 1844; American Art Union, 1845; SFAA, 1891; Mechanics’ Inst. (SF), 1884; World’s Columbian Expo (Chicago), 1893; PPIE, 1915. In: Oakland Museum; MM; Orange Co. (CA) Museum; most major U.S. museums.
Source:
Edan Hughes, “Artists in California, 1786-1940″
Keith, Old Master of California (Brother Cornelius); George Inness Landscapes, His Signature Years 1884-1894