The Gilded Age in American Art

Discussion Starters: Visual
Consider how this work relates to the Gilded Age.

Did Inness use a lot of different colors or just a few?
Gray-green is the predominant color. Instead of using many different colors, Inness used variations of gray-green tones. This use of color has been labeled Tonalism.

Are the background and foreground clearly separated or do they seem to blend together? What makes them blend together?
The soft subtle definition of forms, lack of clear modeling, and a limited palette submerge the picture into the atmosphere.

What has the artist repeated?
The repetition of yellow-orange patches glowing from the setting sun leads the eye from the left corner of the painting to the larger standing figure.The repetition of trees also leads the eye to the standing figure.The repetition of blurry gray-green tones creates an ethereal atmosphere that envelops the image, unifying the composition.

Besides the field, where has Inness's lack of modeling created a flat silhouette-like appearance? The trees look more like silhouettes against the glow of the setting sun rather than carefully observed representations, don't they?
The flat-pattern like quality of this painting is typical of Inness's later period where he created a more aestheticized representation of nature. He is more concerned with creating a mystical scene meant to awaken the emotions than to paint a carefully observed representation of nature that would appeal to the intellect.

What do you look at first? The bright yellow-orange of the setting sun catches your attention, doesn't it?
The figures and landscape merge into the thick gray-green atmosphere, becoming subordinate to the intense glow of the setting sun.

What time of day is it? What mood does sunset evoke?
Inness liked to paint the most suggestive moments in nature: changes of the seasons, weather, and light.

Describe the activities of the figures in this painting. Do they seem to be involved in hard labor or do their activities seem light and peaceful? Why?
Inness created an idealistic scene that romanticizes the subject. The figures appear as floating images submerged in an ethereal environment. Lack of sharp defining lines and modeling creates a lightness that diminishs the impression of hard labor. The seated figure on the left and the setting sun emphasize the feeling of restfulness.

Click the highlighted title to compare Jean-Francois Millet's Gleaners to George Inness' The Gleaners. What is similar? Different? Are the moods of these paintings similar or different? Why?