Soldiers Playing Cards and Dice (The Cheats) by Valentin de Boulogne

The Judgement of Paris by Claude Lorrain

Claude Lorrain, The Judgment of Paris, 1645/1646, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund 1969.1.1

Two of the greatest French painters of the seventeenth century, Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) and Claude Lorrain (1600-1682), followed the Carracci. These two artists, lifelong friends, were established in Rome by the 1620s and stayed there throughout their careers.

In works such as this one, Claude invented an idealized landscape. Grounded in nature, he has transformed this depiction of the Italian countryside into a timeless image of tranquil, ordered beauty. His lyrical, poetic works were much sought-after in his own lifetime.