The Tempest (La Tempête)

Claude Lorrain created The Tempest (La Tempête) in 1630, an impressive work executed as an etching on laid paper. Classification as a print demonstrates the artist's foundational versatility beyond the oil medium. As a prominent French artist working during the early Baroque era, Lorrain flourished in Rome, helping to establish and define the classical landscape tradition between 1601 to 1650.

The composition captures a moment of intense nautical crisis, contrasting sharply with the tranquil, idealized views of the Roman Campagna for which Lorrain is most famed. Here, he depicts the raw, elemental power of a devastating sea storm. Small vessels struggle desperately against massive, churning waves under dark, heavy skies. The etching technique employs careful handling of line and cross-hatching to define deep shadows, turbulent water, and the dramatic light penetrating the oppressive clouds. This intense atmospheric quality foreshadows the artist’s later dedication to capturing the subtle and emotional effects of light in his mature painted works.

Lorrain produced numerous etchings throughout his career, often disseminating his complex painted compositions or exploring subjects like this powerful marine disaster directly on copper plates. These prints were highly influential, serving to spread his specific vision of both the ideal and dramatic landscape across Europe. This particular impression of The Tempest is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, where it serves as a crucial document of the French graphic arts tradition during the seventeenth century. Due to the historical nature of the artwork, high-resolution images of these foundational prints are frequently available in the public domain for scholarly research and appreciation.