About this artwork
Claude lived in Italy from around 1617-18 until his death. This study, perhaps begun out of doors and finished in the studio, is typical of his early drawings indebted to the example of Dutch artists working in Rome. It depicts one of the ancient gates in the walls of the city, perhaps the Porta Salaria. The subject was probably chosen because it was picturesque, a partially ruined building between city and country. Such a motif would have been useful to Claude as he devised his imagined recreations of the ancient and biblical worlds.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) (1604 - 1682) French
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title:Roman Landscape with a Gatehouse
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date created:Unknown
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materials:Black chalk, pen, brown ink and brown wash on paper
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measurements:11.40 x 14.40 cm
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object type:
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credit line:David Laing Bequest to the Royal Scottish Academy on loan 1966
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accession number:RSA 19
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gallery:
Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)
Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)
Claude Gellée, named 'Lorrain' after his birth place, in the historical region of Lorraine, painted idealised landscapes evoking the world of classical antiquity, suffused with beautifully observed light. He spent his long working life in Rome, producing easel paintings for wealthy and influential...