Circle of CLAUDE GELLÉE, called LORRAIN
Chamagne 1604/05 - Rome 1682
Biography
Throughout his long career, the practice of drawing was of great importance to Claude Lorrain, occupying a central role in his artistic process. Almost five times as many drawings as paintings by him are known, amounting to some 1,200 sheets, ranging from nature studies and compositional drawings to figure and animal studies and independent landscapes, as well as records of finished paintings. The artist valued his drawings highly, rarely parting with them and selling or giving away only a very few sheets to close friends and patrons. While he had no known pupils or studio assistants, Claude’s influence on landscape painting and drawing in Europe was significant, and lasted into the 19th century.
