Study with Brigands (Lower Section) 1628 - 1638

This etching of brigands, or bandits, was made by Claude Lorrain, most likely in the mid-17th century. It’s a print, so the image was incised into a metal plate, probably copper. This would have been done with a sharp tool called a burin, or with acid to bite the lines into the metal. Lorrain’s choice of printing allowed him to create multiple copies and distribute his work widely, tapping into an emerging art market. As for the image, note the expressive, almost frantic lines. Though tiny, the image pulses with energy. The brigands themselves would have been understood as figures operating outside the law, perhaps as a result of economic desperation. Consider that this print, made with relatively little labor, could be sold to a wealthy collector, a stark contrast to the brigands’ own hardscrabble existence. It’s a small thing, but suggestive of the big social inequalities of the time.