Claude Lorrain. Sergei Daniel

Lorrain occupies a leading position among the great artists of the 17th century. But the question arises of how far, if at all, we may be justified in assessing his art as a cultural phenomenon. We would feel no scruples on this score, were we to deal with Galileo or Bernini, Leibniz or Rubens, Rembrandt or Spinoza, Poussin or Descartes, for the scale of their activities is obvious and speaks for itself.

      The Draughtsman

      1639

      Etching, 12.4 × 17.3 cm

      State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg

      By comparison, the art of Claude Lorrain might seem to be a local phenomenon, fully confined within the realm of the visual arts, and even within the limits of a single genre. Such a view would seem to be corroborated by the popular legend of the artist as a simple soul, safely removed from the temptations of a sophisticated intellect, hardly able to sign his own name, and creating art as naturally as a bird sings.

      Pastoral Landscape with Lake Albano and Castel Gandolfo

      1639

      Oil on copper, 30.5 × 37.5 cm

      Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

      We intend to show that this stereotype is at least superficial, if not totally incorrect. Claude Lorrain’s descent held no great promise of a brilliant future. Claude Gellée, later nicknamed Lorrain after his native province, was born into a peasant family, and received hardly any education as such. Nor did local artistic tradition leave any imprint on his mind. It was only later that Claude’s artistic instinct was awakened during a trip to Rome where he journeyed for reasons presumably having nothing to do with art.