Claude Lorrain’s etching, “The Four Goats”, c.1630–33

Claude Lorrain (aka Claude Gellée; Le Lorrain; Claudio di Lorena) (1600–1682)

“The Four Goats” (aka “Les Quatre Chèvres”), c.1630–33, printed from the original plate and published in 1816 by J. McCreery in the “200 Etchings” folio. Interestingly this is the left side of a larger etching, “The Goats” (aka “Les Chèvres”), which Lorrain divided into two sections with the right side titled, “The Three Goats” (aka “Les Trois Chèvres”).

Etching on fine wove paper, trimmed around the image borderline and backed with a support sheet providing wide margins.

Size: (sheet) 19.5 x 12.8 cm.

State iv (of iv) as published in the 1816 with the dark spots showing in the sky in the upper right corner. Note that there are impressions from this state where these spots and the horizontal lines in the sky are wiped clean in leaving a noticeable white area.

Mannocci 8 iv (Lino Mannocci 1988, “The Etchings of Claude Lorrain”, New Haven, Yale University Press, pp. 60–72, cat. no. 8, fourth state); Blum 5; Robert-Dumesnil 26; Russell 19 (H. Diane Russell 1982, “Claude Lorrain 1600–1682), Washington, National Gallery of Art, p. 328, cat. no. 19).

See also the description of this print offered by the British Museum: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0514-408.

Regarding the plate for this etching (and the others printed by McCreery), Andrew Brink (2013) in “Ink and Light: The Influence of Claude Lorrain’s Etching on England” (McGill Queen’s University Press) offers the following insight: “The plates of Claude’s etchings disappeared without trace as mysteriously as they had first come to London” (p. 74). From my very unreliable memory, I recall being told in a chat with a “knowledgeable friend” who was told by another “knowledgeable friend” that the plates were discovered as ballast on a ship, but this information may be far from the truth.

Condition: a strong and well-printed impression, trimmed around the image borderline in an excellent condition with no losses, holes, folds or stains. The sheet is laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper providing wide margins.

I am selling this very strong impression of a freely inscribed etching by Claude Lorrain, for AU $398 in total (currently/approximately US$261.53/ EUR243.42/ GBP209.59 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU $398) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this superb etching by one of the most famous of all landscape artists, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold