The Dramatic Image: Baroque Prints of the 17th Century

Claude Gellée, known as Claude Lorrain (1604–1682), was noted for his classical pastoral scenes full of inviting imagery that the viewer might want to inhabit: places of comfort, companionship, and peace. This imagery was often based on an Arcadian ideal set in Roman landscapes where shepherds and shepherdesses live simply, play music, and fall in love. His paintings were generally small and intended for private viewing in keeping with the subject matter.Claude’s early life was not an easy one. He received little education and began supporting himself as a young boy. His parents died when he was twelve. He did have an innate artistic talent and while still young and footloose he went to Italy where he studied with the Italian artist, Agostino Tassi (1578–1644), a painter of landscapes and seascapes, admired for his mastery of perspective and illusionistic architecture.