Delaware Water Gap
George Inness, 1861
About this artwork
George Inness's *Delaware Water Gap* (1861), an oil on canvas measuring 36 x 50¼ inches, captures the majestic natural beauty of this iconic American landmark where the Delaware River carves through the Appalachian Mountains along the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border. during the early months of the Civil War, the work depicts a serene pastoral landscape with grazing cows, a winding river, and a vivid rainbow arching across a stormy sky—elements that evoke peace amid national turmoil. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it reflects 19th-century American culture's deep reverence for the wilderness as a source of spiritual renewal. Inness, a pivotal figure in American landscape painting, was transitioning from the detailed realism of the Hudson River School toward a more atmospheric, tonal style influenced by the Barbizon painters of France. His masterful use of oil on canvas allowed for luminous effects, with soft brushwork blending mist, light, and color to create depth and mood rather than precise topography. The rainbow, a rare and symbolic motif here, suggests divine promise and harmony in nature. This painting exemplifies Inness's belief in art as a bridge to the divine, inviting viewers to contemplate the sublime in everyday scenery. Acquired through the Morris K. Jesup Fund in 1932, it remains a testament to the enduring allure of American Romanticism.