Claude Lorrain : Dessins Et Eaux-Fortes

Exhibition at the Château de Chantilly, 2 March - 19 May 2024

A tireless draughtsman, particularly of Roman landscapes, Claude Gellée (c. 1600 - 1682), known as Le Lorrain, used broad ink washes, meticulous pen strokes and rapid notations in black stone to study nature, transcribe the light of the sun at different times of the day or compose everyday, religious or mythological scenes. Transposed into engravings, his subjects take on new tonalities without losing any of the experimental freedom that is the artist's hallmark.

This exhibition catalogue reproduces Claude's drawings and etchings, analysing the master's flashes, hesitations and doubts. Drawn from public and private collections, these previously unpublished or long-admired sheets are commented on by international art historians, who offer a fresh approach to Claude's graphic practices. The book also publishes the entire collection of the Musée Condé, Château de Chantilly, the largest collection of drawings by the artist in France after that of the Musée du Louvre.