The Old Mill
George Inness · 1849 · Art Institute of Chicago
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From the museum
George Inness began painting landscapes during a period in which the public preferred depictions of the untamed American wilderness; throughout his career, however, he insisted upon the importance of the cultivated landscape as a subject for art. In this work, the brightly lit figures and mill contrast with the shadowy darkness of the trees, suggesting the potential for danger at the edge of the forest. The rundown mill represents a stable, settled area but also points to the changes brought about by industrialization. Inness thus created a contradictory view of rural life that celebrates its simplicity and safety while hinting at its decline.
The museum’s own description, in English. Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Details
- Maker
- George Inness (American, 1825–1894)
- Date
- 1849
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions
- 75.9 × 107 cm (29 7/8 × 42 1/8 in.)
- Place of origin
- United States
- Held by
- Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · Not on view
- Credit line
- The William Owen Goodman and Erna Sawyer Goodman Collection
Image: Art Institute of Chicago, CC0
