Lorrain, Claude (Lorrain Claude)

(1600-1682)
Born in 1600 in Chamonix (Lorraine, hence the nickname Le Lorrain - Lorrainer). Most of his life in Rome, has had a significant influence on him of his great contemporary works by Nicolas Poussin. While still a young man, he studied engraving by Claude Lorrain in Freiburg im Breisgau, and then worked in Naples, under the leadership of the painter Gottfried Vals.
From 1619 he studied in Rome with Agostino Tassi. Six years later he returned to France, visiting along the way various Italian cities, and worked for about a year in Nancy, helping the court painter Claude de Rouet decorate the vaults of the church Carmelites. In 1627 he went to Rome. Already in the 1630-ies his landscapes have attracted the attention of art connoisseurs and wealthy clients, among whom were Spanish king and the Pope. In the 'ideal' landscape dominated Lorrain soft elegiac mood; scattered morning or evening light light haze envelops outlines of trees and hills. Biblical, mythological or pastoral plot motifs completely subordinate to the image of a beautiful, majestic nature, for example, pictures Departure of St.. Ursula (1646, London, National Gallery); Banishment of Hagar (1668, Munich, Alte Pinakothek).

Claude Lorrain has left many drawings. Among them are a large number of sketches depicting trees and plants, as well as several sketches made directly from nature. In the collection of the Duke of Devonshire in Chatsuorte is famous series Liber veritatis, which consists of 200 landscape paintings. Among them - the sketches to his canvases, as well as pictures taken with his paintings. This collection of drawings is of great importance not only for its aesthetic and artistic value, but also because it sheds light on the chronology and compositional features paintings by Lorrain. Lorraine died in Rome on November 21, 1682.