Landscape with Shepherds - The Pont Molle 1645

Claude Lorrain likely made this oil painting, "Landscape with Shepherds - The Pont Molle," sometime in the mid-17th century. Lorrain was celebrated for his ability to build up landscape scenes layer by layer using oil paints and delicate brushes. Here, he guides the eye through the composition, drawing attention from the dark foreground to the lighter horizon. Although traditional paints and brushes were used, the ways in which they're applied is crucial. The very smooth surface shows that the artist invested a great deal of time and effort. You can even see a slight haziness, an atmosphere achieved with thin glazes of paint. This effect would have been impossible to achieve without his mastery. Consider how much labor was invested in the creation of the artwork itself, how much in tending to the land, and how much in the shepherd's work. In this way, Lorrain’s painting transcends the traditional distinction between fine art and the everyday crafts of land management.