 James McNeill Whistler, Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket, c. 1875; Oil on panel; 60.3 x 46.4 cm | |
| Years active | from the 1880s into the early 20th century |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Major figures | Albert Pinkham Ryder, George Inness, John Henry Twachtman, James McNeill Whistler |
| Influences | French Barbizon school, Hudson River School |
| Influenced | Milton Avery, the Color Field painters, the circle of artists around Alfred Stieglitz and etchers like Edith Loring Getchell |
Tonalism was an artistic style that emerged in the 1880s when American artists began to paint landscape forms with an overall tone of colored atmosphere or mist. Between 1880 and 1915, dark, neutral hues such as gray, brown or blue, often dominated compositions by artists associated with the style.[1] During the late 1890s, American art critics began to use the term "tonal" to describe these works, as well as the lesser-known synonyms Quietism and Intimism.[2][3] Two of the leading associated painters were George Inness and James McNeill Whistler.[4]
Tonalism is sometimes used to describe American landscapes derived from the French Barbizon style,[5] which emphasized mood and shadow.[6] Tonalism was eventually eclipsed by Impressionism and European modernism.
Australian Tonalism emerged as an art movement in Melbourne during the 1910s.
