Italian Landscape
Medium
etching on wove paper
Dimensions
image: 15 × 19.8 cm (5 7/8 × 7 13/16 in.) plate: 17 × 21.8 cm (6 11/16 × 8 9/16 in.) sheet: 31.2 × 44.8 cm (12 5/16 × 17 5/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Carol and James Goodfriend
Accession Number
2021.113.2
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Discover the serene beauty of *Italian Landscape*, an exquisite 1865 etching by French printmaker Maxime Lalanne, faithfully reproducing a composition by the Baroque master Claude Lorrain. Lorrain (1600–1682), renowned for his luminous, idealized views of the Roman countryside, pioneered the Classical landscape tradition, blending architecture, foliage, and atmospheric light to evoke the golden age of antiquity. Lalanne, a skilled 19th-centurycher, captured this essence on wove paper, a smooth support that allowed for fine detail in his intricate lines. Etching, Lalanne's chosen medium, involves drawing into a wax-coated copper plate with acid biting the grooves to create tonal depth and texture—perfect for mimicking Lorrain's shimmering skies and distant ruins. Measuring just 15 × 19.8 cm in its image area, this intimate print reflects the 19th-century fascination with old masters, making high art accessible through reproductive prints. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's print collection as a gift from Carol and James Goodfriend, it invites visitors to appreciate how Lalanne bridged centuries, preserving Lorrain's poetic vision of Italy for modern eyes.