The Life and Works of Claude
self portrait of Claude Lorrain
Early Life
This famous Renaissance Baroque artist has traditionally been known just as Claude in English, Claude Gellée in French, and is often referred to by his town of origin, Lorraine (hence Claude Lorrain). He lived and worked during the Baroque era and was most active in Rome, Italy. Renowned for his landscapes, Claude was orphaned when he was 12 and went to live with his brother Jean Gellée in Freiburg, France, setting off a chain of events that would impact him for the entirety of his life. He learned the art of engraving from his brother, and within a year's time, Claude had travelled to Rome with another relative and become a pastry cook for Agostino Tassi. Tassi, a celebrated landscape painter and a painter of illusional architectural frescoes, made Claude his apprentice and taught him fundamental painting skills. Claude Lorrain was also especially influenced by the German Baroque art of Adam Elsheimer during this development period.
In 1625, Claude left Tassi and returned to Nancy, the city near his home village. By 1627, Claude was back in Rome, and there is no evidence that he ever left the city again. In 1633, Claude joined the painters' Academy of St. Luke. Claude never married, but he did have a daughter, Agnese, who was born in 1653 and lived with Claude until his death. From 1633 to 1656, Claude had a pupil of his own living in his home, Giovanni Domenico Desiderii.
Two biographers give us most of the primary source information on Claude's early life. Joachim von Sandrart and Filippo Baldinucci knew Claude during his lifetime and gave accounts of his life and early works in Sandrart's Teutsche Academie (1675) and in Baldinucci's Notizie de'Professori del Disegno (1728). Sandrart tells that Claude had little interest in school and so was instead sent to become a pastry cook's apprentice at an early age. However, Claude was unable even to do this, and so he became a servant in the household of Tassi. Eventually, he learned Tassi's craft and was established as an independent artist. Baldinucci writes a story of Claude's life that is more relied on today. Similar to the story mentioned above, Baldinucci believes that after the death of Claude's parents, he went to live with his brother for a short time before a relative took him to Rome to study drawing and painting, with financial support from his brother's household.
On Claude's Success and Patrons
Claude's earliest surviving work is from 1627. It is likely that he did not take up the art of landscape painting before this time. Over 1,000 of Claude's drawings are still in existence today, along with 250 of 300 original paintings and 44 etchings. Many of the drawings were spontaneous sketches completed during an encounter with nature, while others were carefully planned preparations meant to aid in final creations. Claude's masterpieces were inspired mostly by the Roman Campagna outside the city where he spent most of his life.
Claude was one of the few lucky artists throughout history who gained renown for their works during their lifetimes. Claude Lorrain had many patrons, especially throughout the latter period of his artistic career. They majorly consisted of French and Italian noblemen. Claude's rise to fame occurred during the early 1630s. By 1637, he had received commissions from Pope Urban VIII, many cardinals, and Spain's Philip IV. He received other later commissions from several more notable individuals, including Cardinal Fabio Chigi of Lorrain (later Pope Alexander VII in 1655-1667), for whom Claude created his his famous work The Rape of Europa (1655). The Cardinal became Pope before the painting was finished. The Enchanted Castle was painted in 1664 for Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. The family of this prince was ancient Roman nobility, and Lorenzo was one of Claude's greatest patrons.
Claude protected against fake copies of his work and repetitions by making outline drawings of the pictures he sent to different countries. On the back of each of these drawings, he penned the name of the purchaser and where the picture was destined to go. These are contained in six volumes titled Liber Veritatis (Book of Truth), which Claude began construing around 1635 or 1636. In total, 195 drawings copied by Claude from his completed paintings are included. The volumes have been available throughout history for art students to refer to and are particularly valuable to and trusted by students who practice landscape art. These volumes also documented Claude's development as an artist and created a concise record of his patrons.
Many of his drawings were done in chalk or pen and wash, and they are obviously rougher in quality but were also created in much more spontaneity, showing very informal natural scenes, including trees, portions of riverbanks, and sun-filled fields. Figures truly were a secondary addition in Claude's more refined works.
Contemporary Artists
Claude is comparable to his contemporary painter Nicolas Poussin, whom he traveled the Roman Campagna with and sketched landscapes alongside. The difference between the two is that while Poussin focused his material on figures and the landscape was the mere background, Claude focused his painting on the landscapes and any figures were secondary and often found in the corners of the canvas. He truly wanted to display the sea, the land, and the air as the main subjects. It is rumored that he commissioned other painters to paint the figures found in his works, including artists Courtois and Filippo Lauri.
Criticism
Some critics and historians argue that in the Rome existing under Counter-Reformation ideals, there was little desire for landscape, still-life, and genre painting. Renaissance art was meant to rival ancient Classical art. Landscape as a genre was not Classical and was still considered too secular to interest most art patrons. Claude was interested in pure scenery, but he painted this scenery to include portrayals of classic heroes and saints so as to appeal to the public desire for paintings with noble themes.
This famous Renaissance Baroque artist has traditionally been known just as Claude in English, Claude Gellée in French, and is often referred to by his town of origin, Lorraine (hence Claude Lorrain). He lived and worked during the Baroque era and was most active in Rome, Italy. Renowned for his landscapes, Claude was orphaned when he was 12 and went to live with his brother Jean Gellée in Freiburg, France, setting off a chain of events that would impact him for the entirety of his life. He learned the art of engraving from his brother, and within a year's time, Claude had travelled to Rome with another relative and become a pastry cook for Agostino Tassi. Tassi, a celebrated landscape painter and a painter of illusional architectural frescoes, made Claude his apprentice and taught him fundamental painting skills. Claude Lorrain was also especially influenced by the German Baroque art of Adam Elsheimer during this development period.
In 1625, Claude left Tassi and returned to Nancy, the city near his home village. By 1627, Claude was back in Rome, and there is no evidence that he ever left the city again. In 1633, Claude joined the painters' Academy of St. Luke. Claude never married, but he did have a daughter, Agnese, who was born in 1653 and lived with Claude until his death. From 1633 to 1656, Claude had a pupil of his own living in his home, Giovanni Domenico Desiderii.
Two biographers give us most of the primary source information on Claude's early life. Joachim von Sandrart and Filippo Baldinucci knew Claude during his lifetime and gave accounts of his life and early works in Sandrart's Teutsche Academie (1675) and in Baldinucci's Notizie de'Professori del Disegno (1728). Sandrart tells that Claude had little interest in school and so was instead sent to become a pastry cook's apprentice at an early age. However, Claude was unable even to do this, and so he became a servant in the household of Tassi. Eventually, he learned Tassi's craft and was established as an independent artist. Baldinucci writes a story of Claude's life that is more relied on today. Similar to the story mentioned above, Baldinucci believes that after the death of Claude's parents, he went to live with his brother for a short time before a relative took him to Rome to study drawing and painting, with financial support from his brother's household.
On Claude's Success and Patrons
Claude's earliest surviving work is from 1627. It is likely that he did not take up the art of landscape painting before this time. Over 1,000 of Claude's drawings are still in existence today, along with 250 of 300 original paintings and 44 etchings. Many of the drawings were spontaneous sketches completed during an encounter with nature, while others were carefully planned preparations meant to aid in final creations. Claude's masterpieces were inspired mostly by the Roman Campagna outside the city where he spent most of his life.
Claude was one of the few lucky artists throughout history who gained renown for their works during their lifetimes. Claude Lorrain had many patrons, especially throughout the latter period of his artistic career. They majorly consisted of French and Italian noblemen. Claude's rise to fame occurred during the early 1630s. By 1637, he had received commissions from Pope Urban VIII, many cardinals, and Spain's Philip IV. He received other later commissions from several more notable individuals, including Cardinal Fabio Chigi of Lorrain (later Pope Alexander VII in 1655-1667), for whom Claude created his his famous work The Rape of Europa (1655). The Cardinal became Pope before the painting was finished. The Enchanted Castle was painted in 1664 for Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. The family of this prince was ancient Roman nobility, and Lorenzo was one of Claude's greatest patrons.
Claude protected against fake copies of his work and repetitions by making outline drawings of the pictures he sent to different countries. On the back of each of these drawings, he penned the name of the purchaser and where the picture was destined to go. These are contained in six volumes titled Liber Veritatis (Book of Truth), which Claude began construing around 1635 or 1636. In total, 195 drawings copied by Claude from his completed paintings are included. The volumes have been available throughout history for art students to refer to and are particularly valuable to and trusted by students who practice landscape art. These volumes also documented Claude's development as an artist and created a concise record of his patrons.
Many of his drawings were done in chalk or pen and wash, and they are obviously rougher in quality but were also created in much more spontaneity, showing very informal natural scenes, including trees, portions of riverbanks, and sun-filled fields. Figures truly were a secondary addition in Claude's more refined works.
Contemporary Artists
Claude is comparable to his contemporary painter Nicolas Poussin, whom he traveled the Roman Campagna with and sketched landscapes alongside. The difference between the two is that while Poussin focused his material on figures and the landscape was the mere background, Claude focused his painting on the landscapes and any figures were secondary and often found in the corners of the canvas. He truly wanted to display the sea, the land, and the air as the main subjects. It is rumored that he commissioned other painters to paint the figures found in his works, including artists Courtois and Filippo Lauri.
Criticism
Some critics and historians argue that in the Rome existing under Counter-Reformation ideals, there was little desire for landscape, still-life, and genre painting. Renaissance art was meant to rival ancient Classical art. Landscape as a genre was not Classical and was still considered too secular to interest most art patrons. Claude was interested in pure scenery, but he painted this scenery to include portrayals of classic heroes and saints so as to appeal to the public desire for paintings with noble themes.