Study for a Scene with Brigands

Claude Lorrain, esteemed painter of the ideal landscape, also produced about 40 etchings. Many were made in his early years, perhaps as a way of creating a broader market for his paintings. Compared with other artists of his time, Lorrain used the etching plate in more experimental ways. Here, he produced several test plates in the process of developing his compositions. The lower image shows a preliminary sketch in reverse for the etching of Scene with Brigands, as well as several spirited rabbits.