Follower of Claude Lorrain, Merchants on the River Po, 1800s, Oil Painting on Canvas, Framed

Italianate landscape after Claude Lorrain
Very good Quality oil on relined canvas after Claude Lorrain, cargo ships on the banks of the river to Italy.

Very similar to the Landscape with Merchants in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Our version could be after the engraving by Boydell and James Mason, 1st January 1769.

Interestingly, the source painting for the painting was once in the collection of Robert Trevor, 4th Baron Trevor (from 1764), and subsequently (from 1776) 1st Viscount Hampden.

Biography

Claude Lorrain, also known as Claude Gellée, was a French painter who lived from 1600 to 1682. He was born in the small village of Champagne, in the region of Lorraine, hence his name. Claude is considered one of the greatest landscape painters of his time and is known for his atmospheric depictions of nature.

Claude was orphaned at a young age and was raised by his elder brother, who was a woodcarver. At the age of 13, he moved to Rome to work as an apprentice to the painter Agostino Tassi. In Rome, he became fascinated by the natural landscape and began painting landscapes himself.

Claude's paintings were highly influential in the development of landscape painting as a separate genre, and he became famous for his ability to capture the essence of nature in his works. His landscapes often featured idealised settings with a golden glow and soft, hazy light, giving them a dreamlike quality.

Claude was highly regarded during his lifetime and was patronised by many wealthy and influential individuals, including King Louis XIV of France. He spent most of his life in Rome, but also travelled extensively throughout Italy and France. He was a member of the Academy of St. Luke in Rome and was highly respected by his fellow artists.

Claude's legacy as a painter has endured to this day, and he is considered one of the most important painters of the Baroque era. His influence can be seen in the works of many later artists, including J.M.W. Turner and John Constable.