Claude Lorrain

(France, Italy 1600–23 Nov 1682)

Title

Pastoral landscape

Other titles:

Diamond Claude

Year

1636-1637

Media category

Painting

Materials used

oil on copper

Dimensions

27.9 x 34.7cm panel; 43.1 x 50.0 x 6.0cm frame

Signature & date

Not signed. Not dated.

Credit

Gift of James Fairfax AO 1992

Accession number

208.1992

Location

15th–19th c European art

Further information

Known as the 'Diamond Claude' by virtue of its faceted format, this exquisite painting on copper is one of a clutch of such works executed by the celebrated classicist. Claude Gellée was born in Lorrain, but spent most of a productive life in his beloved Italy, especially Rome and its pastoral environs exemplified in the Campagna. Initially inspired by northern artists active in that city, Elsheimer and Bril for example, Claude became fluent in the idealising vocabulary of Bolognese painters such as Domenichino. Behind his Arcadian landscapes lay a reliance on forms and relationships found in nature, especially the varied effects of natural light which are his hallmark. 'Pastoral landscape', with its lakeside setting, predicts the great seaport subjects of his maturity - works that profoundly influenced the romantic Turner. Claude's wider influence on subsequent landscape traditions in Europe is inestimable.

AGNSW Handbook, 1999.

Provenance (10)

James Oswald Fairfax AC (Australia, b.1933), 1973-09 Jul 1992, Bowral/New South Wales/Australia, Gift of James Fairfax 1992. Purchased by James Fairfax from Agnew's 1973.

Agnew's, London (England, estab. 1817), 29 Nov 1968-1973, London/England, Purchased by Agnew's at Christie's London, 29 November 1968, lot no. 74. Sold to James Fairfax 1973.

George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington (Scotland, d.1986), 1952-29 Nov 1968, Scotland, by descent from Lady Binning to her son George Baillie-Hamilton, 12th Earl of Haddington, Mellerstain. Sold Christie's London, 29 November 1968, lot no. 74.

Lady Binning (England, d.1952), 1909-1952, England, by descent from George Salting to his niece Katherine Augusta Milicent Salting (only child of George Salting's brother William Severin Salting) who married George Baillie-Hamilton, Lord Binning (1856-1917).

George Salting (Australia; England, b.1835, d.1909), 1908, London/England

Agnew's, London (England, estab. 1817), 1907-1908, London/England, Purchased by Agnew's from John Chapman Walker 1907

John Chapman Walker (England), circa 1882-1907, Whitby/England, by 1882, lent to 'Exhibition of Works by Old Masters' Royal Academy 1882

Cockburn, post 11 Jun 1860, Purchased at Christie's London, 11 June 1860, lot no. 136, 300gn. The price and buyer are recorded in an anotated copy of the sale catalogue in the National Gallery Library, London.

Samuel Woodburn (England, b.1780, d.1853), London/England, [dealer] his estate sale Christie's London, 15-19 and 23-25 May 1854, 7th day, 24 May 1854, lot no. 844, bought in, 460gn 'From the Swedish Minister's Collection'. His sale, Christie's London, 9 and 11 June 1860, 2nd day, lot no.136, purchased by Cockburn, 300gn. The price and buyer are recorded in an anotated copy of the sale catalogue in the National Gallery Library, London.

Count Carl Gustav Tessin (Sweden, b.1695, d.1770), Sweden, Probably Count Carl Gustav Tessin, Swedish Ambassador to Paris 1739-43, and collector.

Bibliography (25)

Agnew's, London, Claude Lorrain (1600-1682): an exhibition of paintings and drawings, partly from private collections, to mark the artist's tercentenary 1982, London, 1982, frontispiece (colour illus.), 6, 11. cat.no.1

Agnew's, London, Catalogue of the collection of pictures and drawings of the late Mr George Salting 1910, London, 1910, 11. cat.no.207, Claude - 'River scene with cattle'

Agnew's, London, A Dealer's record: Agnew's 1967-81, London, 1981, 108 (illus.).

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Art Gallery of New South Wales Annual Report 1992 1992, Domain, 1992, frontispiece (colour illus.), 67.

Art Gallery of New South Wales, Great gifts, great patrons: an exhibition celebrating private patronage of the Gallery 1994, Sydney, 1994. no catalogue numbers

Art Gallery of New South Wales, The James Fairfax collection of old masters 1992, Domain, 1992. no catalogue numbers

Richard Beresford and Peter Raissis, The James Fairfax collection of old master paintings, drawings and prints 2003, Domain, 2003, 54 (colour illus.), 55-56, 57 (colour illus.). cat.no. 11, illustration on page 57 is a detail

Richard Beresford, Look Apr 2003, 'Not only great art: fascinating stories discovered behind the works on show', pg.18-21, Newtown, Apr 2003, 20 (colour illus.).

Edmund Capon, Great philanthropists on trial : the art of the bequest, 'The James Fairfax collection', pg.126-135, Melbourne, 2006, 129 (colour illus.). fig.2

David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Paintings and drawings from Agnew's, London 1973, 1973, (illus.). cat.no.8

David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, 'Private treasures': an exhibition of art from Australian private collectors covering a period of five centuries 1978, Sydney, 1978. cat.no.92

Renée Free, The Art Gallery of New South Wales collections, 'The Western Heritage, Renaissance to Twentieth Century', pg. 108-172, Sydney, 1994, 118 (colour illus.).

A. Graves, A century of loan exhibitions, 1813-1912, London, 1913-1915, vol.1, 1913: 179.

Terry Ingram, The Australian Financial Review 14 Sep 2006, 'Salting the wound: UK rejection leads to local hanging', pg.22, Sydney, 14 Sep 2006, 22.

Bruce James, Art Gallery of New South Wales handbook, 'Western Collection: Paintings and Sculpture', pg. 17-77, Domain, 1999, 27 (colour illus.).

Michael Kitson, Claude Lorrain, Liber veritatis, London, 1978, 58, (illus.). under no.11

Michael Kitson and Marcel Röthlisberger, The Burlington Magazine Jan 1959, 'Claude Lorrain and the Liber Veritatis', pg.23, London, Jan 1959, 23. note 39 as 'possibly autograph'

Maria Teresa Penta, Bollettino d'arte [vol. 78] 1993, 'Tobiolo e l'angelo: una proposta per Claude Lorrain', pg.39-48, Rome, 1993, 40, 46. note 11

Marcel Roethlisberger and Doretta Cecchi, Tout l'oeuvre peint de Claude Lorrain, Paris, 1986, 91, (illus.). no.61

Marcel Roethlisberger and Doretta Cecchi, L'opera completa di Claude Lorrain, Milan, 1975, 92. no. 63

Marcel Roethlisberger, Claude Lorrain: the drawings, San Francisco, 1968, 116. under 126

Marcel Roethlisberger, Claude Lorrain: the paintings, London, 1961, vol. 1, 117-118; vol. 2, (illus.). no. LV11, plate 44

Royal Academy of Arts, Exhibition of works by old masters Winter 1882, London, Winter 1882, 47. cat.no.226

Author Unknown, Catalogue of Mr Goerge Salting's collection of pictures, [1910], 8. cat.no.207

Editor Unknown (Editor), Gazette des Beaux-Arts Mar 1993, 'Chronique des Arts' suppliment, Unknown, Mar 1993, 30 (illus.). no. 146

Exhibition history (8)

Exhibition of works by old masters, Royal Academy of Arts, London, Winter 1882–Winter 1882

Catalogue of the collection of pictures and drawings of the late Mr. George Salting, Agnew's, London, London, Jan 1910–Jan 1910

Paintings and drawings from Agew's, London, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Sydney, 28 Mar 1973–19 Apr 1973

'Private treasures': an exhibition of art from Australian private collectors covering a period of five centuries, David Jones' Art Gallery, Sydney, Sydney, 10 Jan 1978–21 Jan 1978

Claude Lorrain (1600-1682): an exhibition of paintings and drawings, partly from private collections, to mark the artist's tercentenary, Agnew's, London, London, 09 Nov 1982–10 Dec 1982

The James Fairfax collection of old masters, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 25 Apr 1992–14 Jun 1992

Great gifts, great patrons, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Aug 1994–19 Oct 1994

The James Fairfax collection of old master paintings, drawings and prints, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 17 Apr 2003–20 Jul 2003