17th Century: A Golden Age of Landscape: Claude, Rubens and the Dutch
The 17th century ushered in the classical, or ideal, landscape, which set scenes in the mythic and idyllic Arcadia of ancient Greece. The leading practitioners of the classical landscape were the French-born Italy-based artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain. Poussin and Claude attempted to elevate the reputation of the landscape genre by attaching metaphorical meaning to the natural elements of their paintings, by depicting mythological or biblical stories set in elaborate natural settings, and by emphasizing the heroic power of nature over humanity.
In the series:
Jan. 10: The Birth of Landscape from the Tres Riches Heures to Bruegel
Jan. 17: 17th Century: A Golden Age of Landscape: Claude, Rubens and the Dutch
Jan. 24: Romantic Landscape – Friedrich, Turner, Constable, Samuel Palmer
Jan. 31: Landscape in the Age of Realism – Corot, Courbet, Menzel