Claude: The Poetic Landscape

by Humphrey Wine

The work looks at the 17th-century landscapist Claude whose pastoral scenes - based on the studies of the Roman campagna - have never gone out of fashion. It focuses on his role as a storyteller, his often highly unusual subjects being taken from the Bible, myths, and classical literature. Some 80 paintings and drawings are reproduced here, many in colour. In an accessible account designed to enrich the reader's experience of looking at Claude landscapes, the author explores the subjects of the works - what they were, why they were chosen, what they meant - and considers the extent to which Claude's treatment of landscape was determined by his subject matter. The introductory essay is followed by a catalogue section where all the works are illustrated, grouped by subject, and accompanied by synopses of the stories on which they are based.

Genres: Art

120 pages, Hardcover

First published January 26, 1994