Landscape as a Character

Claude Lorrain is widely known as the most famous landscape artist of all time. Throughout his career, he was constantly reading and learning. This had a great impact on the artworks he created throughout his career. Many of his paintings are depictions of unique scenes from various stories and legends, both from Christian Bible stories and Greek mythology. In some cases, he used a depiction of a story to relate to the person commissioning the work. He consistently displayed his artistic ability through the way he painted the many textures and materials in each painting. He created detailed representations of wrinkled clothes, coarse sand, cold water, rough wood, hard rocks, and soft sails. We can see the implication of wind blowing on a beach through movement depicted in the clothes, sails, or plants. We might even imagine the warmth of a rising sun on a cool morning. The actual texture of his paintings are smooth and they blend together with the canvases, further showing us his skill as a painter. Naturalistic textures are intricately painted in the water, people, ships, and architecture, creating an impressive combination within each piece. He demonstrates his skill as a painter and storyteller further through the fine details displayed in his artworks. The scenes in these paintings encourage the viewer to wonder what events led up to this moment and what happens next in each story. His works have a common theme of utilizing the landscape and texture to add to the narrative of the story, while at the same time drawing the viewers in to see what is happening in each painting.

Claude Lorrain

The Trojan Women Setting Fire to Their Fleet

1604/5?–1682

Oil on Canvas

Ascension Number: 55.119

In this painting, Lorrain creates an intense and engaging scene, from the people on shore to the ships in the sea. He creates deliberate movement using space, line, shape, and texture to guide us through the scene depicted in this artwork. The various angles of the masts and yards (crossbars) keep our eyes going in all directions, conveying a strong implication of chaos. He adds stability through the beaches and the interlocking triangle shape they create with the sea. The women are active in the scene, and they give a sense of purpose within the structure of the piece. The contrast between chaos and stability balances the painting and acts as a character in the overall narrative of the work.

Claude Lorrain

Landscape with Psyche Outside the Palace of Amor

1664

Oil on Canvas

The National Gallery, London, England

Lorrain uses darker tones and space between the woman and the castle in Landscape with Psyche Outside the Palace of Amor, to emphasize the emotional distance between Psyche and Cupid. The clouds shade the light from the sun and create a somber mood. The dense brush and foliage between Psyche and the palace add resistance to the path up to the structure.

Claude Lorrain

Landscape with Psyche Saved from Drowning Herself

1665

Oil on Canvas

Wallraf-Richartz Museum

Here Lorrain uses light within the painting to emphasize Psyche in the pool, standing up in a posture of receiving. He depicts the scene where the river, represented as a winged putto, saves Psyche from drowning herself. It is worth noting that this depiction is set in the early morning, which is further emphasized by the fog in the background. The warm sunrise brings new life to the day and reflects the restored life of Psyche after she attempts to drown herself, thus the landscape becomes a character in the piece.

Claude Lorrain

Seaport with the Landing of Cleopatra in Tarsus

1642

Oil on Canvas

The Louvre, Paris, France

Lorrain creates a beautiful seaport that complements the beauty of Cleopatra. The richness of the sunset also reflects the lavish gifts she brings to the king in the scene. Lorrain created this image from his imagination, as no text explains the style of architecture he depicts here. He also takes on the immense challenge of direct sunlight that many painters avoided. He impressively paints a beautiful sunset while also creating a sense that the cool of the evening is beginning to set in.

Claude Lorrain

Landscape with Samuel Anointing David King of Israel

1643

Oil on Canvas

The Louvre, Paris, France

In this final painting, Lorrain beautifully provides a narrative, using space to emphasize the scene of David being anointed on the left, while also displaying the vast landscape beyond, possibly referencing the great kingdom which he will rule. A structure that appears to be a colonnade takes up the entire left third of the painting, emphasizing the anointing, while the center focuses on rolling hills in the distance, suggesting his future kingdom will be vast in size. The final third on the right side contains a few people watching what is happening from afar.