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Inness was the 5th of 13 children of a grocer. His family moved to Newark, New Jersey when he was about 4 years of age. In his teens Inness worked as a map engraver, and sketched scenes from nature on the side. He attracted attention and studied with Regis Gignoux in New York City. In his early 20s a patron Ogden Haggerty sponsored him to spend over a year in Italy and a year in France before returning to the States.
Inness was one of what came to be known as the Hudson River School of artists. He was regarded as the finest American landscape artist of his time.