in 1851 a patron named ogden haggerty sponsored inness' first trip to europe to paint and study. inness spent fifteen months in rome, where he studied landscapes by claude lorrain and nicolas poussin. he also rented a studio there above that of painter william page, who likely introduced the artist to swedenborgianism. in 1853 he was elected into the national academy of design as an associate member and became a full academician in 1868.