Claude Lorrain
Claude Lorrain (1600-1682) was a French artist during the Baroque period. The Baroque period was renowned for real emotion and depicting dramatic scenes. It arose as a response to the artificiality of the mannerist period.
Lorrain had a difficult childhood, with both his parents passing on when he was only 12 years old. He received little schooling and was born in poverty. He received training by Gottfried Wals and Agostino Tassi in perspective and landscape painting when he went to Rome.
Claude Lorrain was an artist that glorified nature and tried to make nature seem even more tranquil and harmonious than it was in real life. His landscape paintings are a representation of his dreamy perspective on nature.
His paintings influenced a lot of people to look at nature with much more respect and admiration for its beauty. Claude’s interpretations and representations of nature influenced the wealthy to such an extent that they designed gardens and parks to model his paintings.
Claude’s contribution to art history is visible in the way he transformed landscape painting. I find his work a perfect balance between warm tones and the details that complete the picture. His use of color, light, and atmosphere push his paintings to new heights.
REFERENCES
The Story of Art, Gombrich (Chapter 19) https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.29158/page/n207/mode/2up
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Claude-Lorrain
https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-art-and-architecture
https://www.claudelorrain.org/
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1962.151
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/384200
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/435909
https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/clau/hd_clau.htm
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/francesco-guardi
November 4, 2020 at 7:35 pm
Tina,
Nice work on Lorrain! Some decent research and good personal feelings about the artist and his work. I wonder if you can see a connection to the early work of JMW Turner? Just a thought. Anyhow keep up the good work.
Jeff
November 9, 2020 at 4:36 pm
Hi Jeff,
I do see a similarity, like the ‘Caernarvon Castle’ by JMW Turner and many other paintings as well.
Thank you!