Claude Lorrain (1600 – 1682) was born in Chamagne in France. He is one of the greatest masters of ideal landscape painting. This is a form of art that seeks to present a view of nature in a more harmonious and more beautiful way than nature itself. The landscape often contains pastoral figure and Classical ruins in Classical dress, and the quality of the beauty is governed by Classical concepts. Lorrain was born of poor parents so he received little schooling, and was brought up to be a pastry cook. His parents may have died when he was just twelve years old, and within the next few years he travelled to Rome. It was in Rome that Agostino Tassi trained him as an artist, a landscapist and a painter of architectural frescoes. Tassi taught him the basic vocabulary of his art - coast scenes and landscapes and with little figures and buildings - and gave him a lasting interest in painting landscapes.
In 1625, Lorraine left Tassi and went back to Nancy, where he worked as an assistant to Claude Deruet for a year. He was helping on some frescoes in the Carmelite church. Lorraine then returned to Rome and settled there permanently. Not much is known of Lorraine’s personality. This is because he never took part in public events and lived just for his work. During his childhood he used to mix with fellow artist, but in his 40s he apparently became more solitary. Although ill-educated in the formal sense, the subjects of his paintings show that he had an adequate knowledge of the Bible.
