The Country Dance (Large Plate) by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) is a masterful print executed between approximately 1632 and 1642. This intricate etching, classified specifically as the third state of four according to the Mannocci catalogue raisonné, demonstrates Lorrain’s technical skill and his characteristic handling of light and space within the medium of printmaking.
The scene captures a lively, idealized rural gathering set within a luminous, sweeping landscape. The composition is defined by the central figures: groups of men and women engaging in animated dancing. This rustic festivity is integrated seamlessly into the deep spatial recession that defined Lorrain’s classicizing style. The artist, Lorrain, meticulously renders the natural surroundings, including dense clusters of trees and details of country life, such as goats grazing placidly near the revelers. While primarily known for his grand pastoral paintings, this piece reveals Lorrain's commitment to capturing moments of everyday rustic existence, establishing him as one of the most important landscape artists of the Baroque era.
This outstanding example of 17th-century French printmaking is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints like The Country Dance (Large Plate) were crucial in disseminating Lorrain’s influential landscape style across Europe. As the work is part of a major institutional holding and falls within the public domain, high-quality images of this etching are broadly available, allowing for wide study of Lorrain's significant contributions to the art of the print.
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