George Inness, Niagara Falls, 1885, oil on wood, 15 7⁄8 x 24 in. (40.2 x 60.9 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of John Gellatly, 1929.6.67
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Niagara Falls
- Artist
- Date
- 1885
- Location
- Dimensions
- 15 7⁄8 x 24 in. (40.2 x 60.9 cm.)
- Credit Line
- Gift of John Gellatly
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- oil on wood
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Landscape — waterfall — Niagara Falls
- Object Number
- 1929.6.67
Artwork Description
Niagara Falls is one of the most frequently painted and photographed landscapes in the United States. George Inness produced seven oil paintings of the falls during the 1880s and 1890s, more than he made of any other area at that time. By 1895, the area around Niagara Falls had become commercialized with many hotels, souvenir shops, and attractions. Inness wanted to reclaim the natural "terror and awe" of the falls, and so obliterated all evidence of bridges, hotels, and signs in his paintings.