100 Great Artists

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1612

16H_26

1626

1627

1629

1611

16JS

16B(?)

1682

CLAUDE LORRAIN

Born CliUJd,

Gd/i, in

Cbamag""

Lorrain

Orpb,,"'d

StudS" in R(l,"'

v:itb /anthrapi'"

T.m

To Namy for

apprmlje.Jbip ,;.'ilb

iJn-U<l

R""",, to Rom,

p"WlIlRm,ly

Pint daud,,'or},

bn<i;cal'c with

C. ttle and

Pc.s,,,, ••

JO<RI pain",,'

A",J;mit tk

S"im_i..uc

B'g;'" Liller

Verin,i,;, a uffJrd

a/b;,,,,::,,,,,..-}

Binh </ dnugbu,.

AIl'I"', 'b<Jugb

Claud, "maim

""mllrri,d

Dj" in R"",,,

Vicw of Seaport with Mist Effect (c. 16j())

A typiCilI Gil/Ilk "apan ,-in.", ,;:irb ",/I ImildiTlgJ jlanking ,b,

cum/""iri<m Imd 11gb, flooding lb, "'/xJ, """from" point jUS1 aM-' til<

bor"'on. Thi, picmr< aim ilium-a," Ix1!:J d'P,b i, ",bin:.d by /ooJ:jnK

"'":lIrlV rb, ba=y bor;",,,, ,brougb a griN/1m1 fading of ,harp out/ill< arid

ttronge"'o",.

C

laude LHfain's chief c()fltribUl;'" nJ a'tlde's I'1tJUns g<:n"'ally came fmlll the

classical landscape I" inting ",."" his F,rnch or It.lian ariS"'<1'1q-. II" I',in",d rJ.pidly

m3S"'rly bTabllCnt of lighL Although fi-(." n<"C .. "<Sity, hut ne\(" ncglem:d. thomugh

not fi-Inllally educat"!. Cb ude lnL· ... the sn",es 1"''1",otion thmugh d",wing, c'p<",.Dy fn,,"

that l1<o, .. ided his themc, fi-(. 11 m)'thology and nature. Somet;mes he painted outdoors, to

the Hil~e. He ""uld adapt the s<~tings_ p .. ,,,,,.al """'n'c sunri", and ,un"'t at firSt hand.

0, {'('''''al _ for an 0l"onunity to cxpk'it light

and atmo"I"'c", (". perhaps "",,,,h n, a bro.d

hotlwn. Hut alwaY', the b .. ,ic in'l,;tation ,,":IS

thc C ampagna, thc st"'tch of low-lying

{'(,urn'}~id" around Rome, st"'pcd in antiquity.

Tt«;' Claud<'scar~' """,her, If'''' him b.<ol\S

in l"'rSl"'<1;,'e and compo,ition, figurlS and

aninnls. aaude then p"'1:=<,-,1 to I"int ""'I"'ns

and, fi-om around 16040 , to lmnumental

Iand,a1"'s with tl''''"S wi ... ling through ",11 ""IS.

Claude a nd Poussin dominoted thc

"""rneenth ",rnury in this genre and 'pawn"]

",any im;'"to .... In 1635 , to k",l' ttad of his

O,,,].,t and guanlagain." ~,rgcrT' Claudc began

,,,,,,,ding his {'(llllll1i«ions in a si<1chbook

called the Libra lffi'ati" the '1>:,<11. of truth'.

Financially SeCUre, hc 1,,1 a quiet life and

tuto,,,1 only two ,rudmts. II is worls went on to

in'pi,c gcn<nt;ons of artists, likc \\'~!tc~u,

\\~Is"n, Turner and Cole: nO, should

A decade Ian.,., his ""rl b<"C>.llle stiD nx'", <,,;c: we ",'eriook his enduring inAocncc on

",ther ,.,itmn a ... 1 m}"''''tlous and I"in",d On eighteenth_ and nineteenth_century English

large cam""" with a W(~cr 1"let"" landscapc If'<<k:ncN.