Four Goats (Left Section of The Goats)

Four Goats (Left Section of The Goats) by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) is an exquisite example of the artist’s early mastery of the etching medium, created between 1625 and 1638. Known primarily for his grand, idealized landscapes, Lorrain frequently employed printmaking techniques to refine his compositional skills and explore effects of light and shade. This particular impression is technically designated as the second state of four documented by the scholar Mannocci, offering viewers a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of the piece as the artist revised the plate.

The work intimately captures four goats gathered beneath a canopy of dense trees, reflecting the common pastoral subjects Lorrain utilized to animate his natural scenes. Unlike his major oil paintings that often focused on dramatic classical architecture, this piece prioritizes the texture and atmosphere of the rural setting, using delicate cross-hatching to define the rustic bark of the trees and the soft coats of the animals. The strong vertical elements provided by the trunks contrast sharply with the horizontal grazing of the subjects.

Lorrain’s nuanced control over the etching needle is evident in the varied line quality, conveying both the deep shadows cast by the foliage and the subtle illumination of the open ground. This print demonstrates why Lorrain remains a pivotal figure in 17th-century European art. Housed within the vast collection of prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, this work is a crucial reference point for students of the period. Because of its age and institutional status, reproductions of this historically significant etching are often available as high-quality public domain prints, ensuring continued scholarly access.