Provenance
Emerson McMillin, New York, New York, purchased at auction, 1902, to 1911; with M. Knoedler & Co., New York, 1911, as "Evening Landscape," 1871; with Henry Reinhardt Galleries, Chicago, 1911; sold to Edward B. Butler, Chicago, 1911; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1911.
Accession Number
64772
Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
41.9 × 65.7 cm (16 1/2 × 25 7/8 in.)
Classification
Painting
Credit Line
Edward B. Butler Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
George Inness's "Twilight in Italy" (1874) is an oil on panel that depicts an Italian scene at twilight. This earlier version of the subject (compare with the 1890 version, id 182255) shows Inness at a different stage in his artistic development. The oil on panel technique gives the painting a more intimate, sketch-like quality. The composition shows the Italian landscape at the twilight hour, with the characteristic soft light and warm tones that attracted Inness to the Italian countryside. The handling is more detailed and structured than Inness's later, more atmospheric works, but the sensitivity to light and mood that would define his mature style is already evident. Inness traveled to Italy in 1870–71, and this painting from 1874 may be based on sketches and memories from that journey. The Italian landscape, with its ancient history, its classical associations, and its beautiful light, offered Inness a subject that combined his interests in nature, spirituality, and the artistic traditions of Europe.
Cultural Impact
Inness's Italian paintings of the 1870s document a crucial period in his development, when his exposure to European landscape painting was helping to shape the evolution of his personal style.
Why It Matters
This earlier twilight view of Italy captures the beauty of the Italian landscape with a freshness and directness that reflects Inness's recent exposure to European light and atmosphere.
