The Herd Returning in Stormy Weather

The Herd Returning in Stormy Weather, an etching created by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) between 1650 and 1651, captures the dramatic atmospheric effects for which the French Baroque master is renowned. This particular impression is the second state of two recorded by Mannocci, showcasing the refined detailing achieved through the corrosive action of the etching process on the copper plate.

Lorrain, who spent most of his long and influential career in Rome, was pivotal in developing the idealized landscape tradition. However, unlike his more serene mythological scenes, this print emphasizes immediate natural peril. The composition focuses on a dynamic group of animals- cattle and sheep- being urgently guided home by a herdsman against the powerful backdrop of an approaching storm. The turbulence of the weather is expertly rendered through meticulous crosshatching and varied tonal contrasts, allowing Lorrain to convey the weight of the air and the sense of impending rain and wind.

As a skilled printmaker, Lorrain utilized etching to achieve a spontaneity and depth that beautifully conveys the rapid movement of the herd and the heavy atmosphere. The careful articulation of light and shadow demonstrates his mastery of rendering landscapes that feel both monumental and intimate. This important historical work is classified as a print and currently resides in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prints derived from Lorrain’s popular 17th-century designs remain highly influential today, and many public domain copies allow broad access to his pioneering landscape art.