Four Goats (Left Section of The Goats) 1625 - 1638

Editor: Here we have "Four Goats (Left Section of The Goats)", created between 1625 and 1638 by Claude Lorrain. It's an etching, a print on paper. There's a sort of whimsical, almost storybook quality to the scene. What catches your eye in this piece? Curator: Whimsical, yes, like a glimpse into a pastoral dream. And what strikes me most is the way Lorrain uses line to create atmosphere. It's almost as if the air itself is vibrating. Do you notice how the trees in the background seem to dissolve into the light? Editor: I do, it's so delicate! Almost like he's more interested in the feeling of the forest than in botanical accuracy. Curator: Exactly! He wasn’t after realism. Lorrain was after something…deeper. He wanted to capture the soul of the landscape. Consider this: what is more untamed than a goat and more encompassing than the forest, a sublime balance. The etching brings them together. Does it prompt reflection about humanity’s connection to nature? Editor: Definitely. There's something almost...biblical about it, a feeling of reverence. Curator: Perhaps because pastoral scenes always hearken back to simpler times, imagined golden ages. Lorrain uses that association, then imbues it with this incredible lightness of touch. Do you feel invited into the work? Or held at arm's length? Editor: Definitely invited! I want to wander into that forest. Curator: Me too! And perhaps that's the magic of Lorrain: he transforms the everyday—a few goats, some trees—into an invitation to dream. He pulls the outside, inside us, yes? Editor: Yes, a very special connection to the past and the pastoral! Curator: To which it calls!