Tonalist Paintings

Soft, misty landscapes in a narrow band of color: the most restful paintings in American art.

1880–1915. 65 paintings here, dated 1849 to 1911, with works by James McNeill Whistler, George Inness, Dwight William Tryon and Henry Ward Ranger. They suit the living room, bedroom and guest room most often.

Showing 1 to 48 of 65 paintings

A sparsely painted waterside scene in dark tones with minimal ghostly shapes suggesting ships, yellow glitches of paint for light reflections, and the orb of an orange moon overhead.

James McNeill Whistler Nocturne: Blue and Gold—Southampton Water, 1872 Art Institute of Chicago

The Yellow Room, James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1883–84, watercolor and gouache on paperboard

James McNeill Whistler The Yellow Room, ca. 1883–84 The Met

A heronǳ silhouette sits amongst the brush in a golden hued forest.

George Inness The Home of the Heron, 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

Very dark painting of a light-skinned, mostly clean-shaven young man in dark suit and dark full-length coat, holding a rolled-up paper and gloves.

James McNeill Whistler Arrangement in Flesh Color and Brown: Portrait of Arthur Jerome Eddy, 1894 Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait of Dr. William McNeill Whistler, James McNeill Whistler, 1871–73, oil on panel

James McNeill Whistler Portrait of Dr. William McNeill Whistler, 1871–73 Art Institute of Chicago

Study for "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2: Portrait of Thomas Carlyle", James McNeill Whistler, 1872–73, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Study for "Arrangement in Grey and Black, No. 2: Portrait of Thomas Carlyle", 1872–73 Art Institute of Chicago

The Artist in His Studio, James McNeill Whistler, 1865–66, oil on paper mounted on panel

James McNeill Whistler The Artist in His Studio, 1865–66 Art Institute of Chicago

Trouville (Grey and Green, the Silver Sea), James McNeill Whistler, 1865, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Trouville (Grey and Green, the Silver Sea), 1865 Art Institute of Chicago

Grey and Silver: Old Battersea Reach, James McNeill Whistler, 1863, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Grey and Silver: Old Battersea Reach, 1863 Art Institute of Chicago

Violet and Silver—The Deep Sea, James McNeill Whistler, 1893, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Violet and Silver—The Deep Sea, 1893 Art Institute of Chicago

Cremorne Gardens, No. 2, James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1870–80, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Cremorne Gardens, No. 2, ca. 1870–80 The Met

Edward Guthrie Kennedy, James McNeill Whistler, 1893–95, oil on wood

James McNeill Whistler Edward Guthrie Kennedy, 1893–95 The Met

Shown from the waist up, a pale-skinned man with a mustache stands with one hand on his hip and the other hand held up in this dark-toned, vertical portrait painting.

James McNeill Whistler Gold and Brown: Self-Portrait, c. 1896-1898 National Gallery of Art

We look slightly down onto and across a wide, boat-filled river under a cloudy sky at the far bank, which is lined with buildings, in this loosely painted, horizontal landscape.

James McNeill Whistler Battersea Reach, c. 1863 National Gallery of Art

We look slightly down at a woman with pale skin and two men with ruddy complexions sitting at a table near a railing overlooking a boat-clogged waterway in this horizontal painting.

James McNeill Whistler Wapping, 1860-1864 National Gallery of Art

Arrangement in Black, No. 3: Sir Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain, James McNeill Whistler, 1876, reworked 1885, oil on canvas

James McNeill Whistler Arrangement in Black, No. 3: Sir Henry Irving as Philip II of Spain, 1876, reworked 1885 The Met

Scene on the Mersey, James McNeill Whistler, 1869, watercolor and gouache on white wove paper

James McNeill Whistler Scene on the Mersey, 1869 The Met

This painting shows a waterfront with boats and buildings in the distance. The shadowy horizon line divides the composition between the gray sky and gray water. The distant shore features faint outlines of buildings.

James McNeill Whistler Grey and Silver: Chelsea Wharf, c. 1864/1868 National Gallery of Art

Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe, James McNeill Whistler, 1885, gouache and watercolor on off-white wove paper, mounted on academy board

James McNeill Whistler Variations in Violet and Grey—Market Place, Dieppe, 1885 The Met

Arrangement in Black: Girl Reading, James McNeill Whistler, ca. 1880–90, oil on wood

James McNeill Whistler Arrangement in Black: Girl Reading, ca. 1880–90 The Met

A young woman with pale, peachy skin, wearing a long, flowing white dress, stands in front of a white curtain in this vertical portrait painting. Her auburn-red hair cascades down over and behind her shoulders.

James McNeill Whistler Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1861-1863, 1872 National Gallery of Art

The Old Mill, George Inness, 1849, oil on canvas

George Inness The Old Mill, 1849 Art Institute of Chicago

Approaching Storm from the Alban Hills, George Inness, 1871, oil on canvas

George Inness Approaching Storm from the Alban Hills, 1871 Cleveland Museum of Art

Landscape, George Inness, 1888, oil on canvas

George Inness Landscape, 1888 Cleveland Museum of Art

The Wheat Field, George Inness, c. 1875–77, oil on canvas

George Inness The Wheat Field, c. 1875–77 Cleveland Museum of Art

Autumn Meadows, George Inness, 1869, oil on canvas

George Inness Autumn Meadows, 1869 The Met

Delaware Water Gap, George Inness, 1861, oil on canvas

George Inness Delaware Water Gap, 1861 The Met

Evening at Medfield, Massachusetts, George Inness, 1875, oil on canvas

George Inness Evening at Medfield, Massachusetts, 1875 The Met

Peace and Plenty, George Inness, 1865, oil on canvas

George Inness Peace and Plenty, 1865 The Met

Pine Grove of the Barberini Villa, George Inness, 1876, oil on canvas

George Inness Pine Grove of the Barberini Villa, 1876 The Met

Spring Blossoms, Montclair, New Jersey, George Inness, ca. 1891, oil and crayon or charcoal on canvas

George Inness Spring Blossoms, Montclair, New Jersey, ca. 1891 The Met

Sunrise, George Inness, 1887, oil on canvas

George Inness Sunrise, 1887 The Met

Dawn—Early Spring, Dwight William Tryon, 1894, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Dawn—Early Spring, 1894 The Met

Evening, New Bedford Harbor, Dwight William Tryon, 1890, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Evening, New Bedford Harbor, 1890 The Met

Moonlight, Dwight William Tryon, 1887, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Moonlight, 1887 The Met

Moonrise at Sunset, Dwight William Tryon, 1890, oil on wood

Dwight William Tryon Moonrise at Sunset, 1890 The Met

This painting depicts a vast countryside from an elevated point of view. At the bottom of the painting is a wide brown and green field that appears to be growing wheat or a similar crop.

George Inness Harvest Scene in the Delaware Valley, 1867 National Gallery of Art

This painting depicts a rural landscape with a shepherdess tending to a flock of sheep on a tree-lined dirt path. She is facing away from us and wears a blue skirt with a white shirt and a white bonnet covering her hair.

George Inness Hillside at Étretat, 1876 National Gallery of Art

The painting displays a dark green field stretching into the distance. A line of trees and small, indistinct structures can be seen near the center of the painting.

George Inness Harvest Moon, 1891 National Gallery of Art

Landscape, George Inness, c. 1852, oil on canvas

George Inness Landscape, c. 1852 National Gallery of Art

We look across and down into a valley with a person sitting near a tall tree and a train puffing smoke beyond, all enclosed by a band of mountains in the distance in this horizontal landscape painting.

George Inness The Lackawanna Valley, c. 1856 National Gallery of Art

The painting depicts a view overlooking a valley with a river in the distance. The almost-cloudless sky is painted in shades of light blue with faint pink near the horizon.

George Inness View of the Tiber near Perugia, 1872-1874 National Gallery of Art

A Winter Sky, George Inness, 1866, oil on canvas

George Inness A Winter Sky, 1866 Cleveland Museum of Art

A shaft of warm light from our left pierces a dark wood filled with tall trees in this horizontal landscape painting. The light falls on a stout white trunk and a portion of the moss-green forest floor near the center of the composition.

George Inness Sunset in the Woods, 1891 National Gallery of Art

Across the Campagna, George Inness, 1872, watercolor, gouache, and graphite on off-white wove paper

George Inness Across the Campagna, 1872 The Met

Landscape, George Inness, 1884 or 1889, oil on canvas

George Inness Landscape, 1884 or 1889 The Met

Olive Trees at Tivoli, George Inness, 1873, gouache, watercolor, and graphite on blue wove paper with colored fibers

George Inness Olive Trees at Tivoli, 1873 The Met

This painting shows a green landscape from an elevated viewpoint. In the distance, light blue water meets a pale-yellow sky, and the sun casts a golden glow over the landscape.

George Inness Lake Albano, Sunset, c. 1874 National Gallery of Art

Related styles

Rooms these paintings suit