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A Marine

A work made of oil on canvas.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of oil on canvas.

Date:

c. 1874–75

Artist:

George Inness (American, 1825–1894)

About this artwork

George Inness’s rough, energetic brushstrokes evoke the raw beauty and potentially destructive power of the ocean in this dramatic seascape. He created it during a trip to Europe in the early 1870s. It was previously thought to depict Étretat, in Normandy, France, but scholars now believe that the image is of Porto d’Anzio, Italy. The sky is illuminated by patches of orange and white light, outlining the ships and distant town on the horizon. Careful study of the surface of the central rock in the foreground illustrates the artist’s impressive manipulation of paint: by employing shifts in texture and shading, he was able to emphasize distinctions between sun and shadow, wet and dry, and clean and algae-covered. Inness traveled to Europe to study landscape painting with the masters of the Barbizon School, who were known for a personal style that contrasted with the grandiose Hudson River School in America. The influence of this intimate approach is apparent in the painting of the rocks and spraying seawater.

Status

On View, Gallery 170

Department

Arts of the Americas

Artist

George Inness

Title

A Marine

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

c. 1874–1875

Medium

Oil on canvas

Inscriptions

Signed, lower left: "G. Inness"

Dimensions

76.8 × 114.9 cm (30 1/4 × 45 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Edward B. Butler Collection

Reference Number

1913.90

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/68792/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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