1800s America Landscapes & Seascapes

Jacob Eichholtz (American Painter, 1776-1842) Conestoga Creek & Lancaster, Pennsylvania

American Landscape Painter George Inness 1825-1894

George Inness (American Hudson River School/Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Early Autumn, Montclair 1888


George Inness' (1825-1894) early work was influenced initially by prints of the works of Claude Lorrain & the 17th-century Dutch landscape masters. He was also touched by the work of the leading Hudson River School painters - particularly that of Thomas Cole & Asher B. Durand - whose style is evident in some of his early canvases. Travel to Europe led him to be influenced by the work of the Barbizon school, & finally, by the theology of Emanuel Swedenborg, whose spiritualism found vivid expression in Inness’ works toward the end of his life. His mature works helped define the Tonalist movement.  A few of Inness’ later paintings stay with me over time. The obscured details, diffused light, organic forms, & inherent glow of these paintings are surely evocative.


George Inness (American Hudson River School/Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) The Trout Brook


George Inness (American Hudson River School/Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Spring Blossoms


George Inness (American Hudson River School/Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) The Lone Farm


George Inness (American Hudson River School/Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Niagara

George Inness (American Hudson River School - Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Early Autumn, Montclair 1891

George Inness (American Hudson River School - Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Morning, Catskill Valley (The Red Oaks) 1894

George Inness (American Hudson River School - Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Near the Village, October 1894

George Inness (American Hudson River School - Tonalist Painter, 1825-1894) Spirit of Autumn 1891

1825 The tow path by the Concord River

Jabez Ward Barton (American artist, 1798-1888) c 1825 View from William Rogers House. Shown, looking west, may be the packet boat George Washington being towed across the Concord River from the Floating Tow Path, Massachusetts

1862 Man & Woman in Carriage on a Country Morning

Fanny Palmer (American artist, 1812-1876) Published by N Currier Life in the Country Morning 1862

Winter in 19C America - New England by George Henry Durrie 1820–1863

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Going to Church 1853


George Henry Durrie was an American artist whose rural winter scenes became popular during the Civil War era. Durrie was born in New Haven, Connecticut, where his father was an emigrant from England, & his mother was a descendant of Governor William Bradford, a Mayflower pilgrim. Durrie taught himself to paint in his teens. In 1839, Durrie & his brother John began 2 years of artistic instruction from Nathaniel Jocelyn, a local engraver & portrait painter. Much of Durrie’s early career was spent as an itinerant portrait painter, traveling over the countryside in search of commissions in rural areas. In 1839, Durrie traveled to Hartford & Bethany, Connecticut; and 1840-1841, he worked in Naugatuck & Meriden, Connecticut, and in Freehold & Keyport, New Jersey. After 1842, he settled in New Haven with his new wife & growing family; but he made painting trips to New Jersey, New York, & Virginia. His account book shows at this time his portraits were between $5 to & $15 each. To supplement his income, Durrie did other painting jobs such as altering portraits, varnishing, & painting decorative motifs on window shutters. Around 1850, he began painting genre scenes of rural life & winter landscapes; as portrait painters began to lose business to the camera. An advertisement in the New Haven Daily Register reads: “Having engaged for a few months past in painting a number of choice Winter Scenes, [G. H. Durrie] would offer them at public sale to the admirers of the fine arts… It is needless to add that no collection of pictures is complete without one or more Winter Scenes.” Four of his prints were published by Currier & Ives between 1860 & the artist's death in New Haven in 1863; & 6 additional prints were issued after his death.

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) A Cold Morning

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Gathering Wood for Winter 1855

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Hunter in Winter Wood

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Farmstead in Winter 1860

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Farmyard in Winter 1862

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Yellow Farmhouse in Winter 1859

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Wintertime on the Farm

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Scene New Haven Connecticut 1858

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Scene in New England 1859

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Scene 1857

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Landscape

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Landscape with Log Cart 1855

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country the Old Grist Mill 1862

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country on a Cold Morning 1861

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country Getting Ice 1862

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country Farmyard 1858

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country 1861

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in the Country 1857

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter in New England 1852

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Farmyard and Sleigh

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Winter Farm Yard 1855

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) The Halfway House 1861

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Seven Miles to Farmington

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Red Schoolhouse Winter 1858

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) On the Road to Boston

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) New England Winter Scene 1858

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Ketcham Farm in Winter, New Haven

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Jones Inn Winter 1855

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Jones Inn in Winter 1853

George Henry Durrie (American artist, 1820–1863) Feeding the Sheep 1862