Research point - Works of Claude Lorrain and Turner - fore, middle and background

Claude  Lorrain was key in popularising Landscapes in the mid/late 17th century in Europe. The main reason for this was the way he added impact by overemphasizing the atmospheric perspective. Looking at his paintings, of romanticised landscapes, the treatment/balance of light and dark in the compositions would appear to be a priority for him... dark foreground trees in shadow, mid-ground blue haze of hills or buildings lit by the the sun on the horizon the lightest area of the painting in the background.

Earlier paintings of Turner are very similar are to those of Lorrain in both there subject matter and their approach to aerial perspective, with Turner keeping the darks of the trees in the foreground.  In his later work's Turner continues to explorer light in his paintings without feeling constrained by the romanticised settings for example Snow Storm,  Steam Boat off Harbour's Mouth.


Sketchs I have produced of some of the work's of Lorrain and Turner which use the contrast of light and dark, chiaroscuro, to add depth and strength to their work


Lorrain - Landscape with Hager and the Angel

Lorrain - Landscape at dusk

Lorrain - Apollo guarding the herds of Admetus

Turner  - Temple of Jupiter

Turner  - Linlithgow palace

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