Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Harringay House painting: Claude Lorrain, Apollo and the Muses on Mount Helicon

Born in the Lorraine region of France, Claude settled early in Italy and spent most of his life painting the countryside around Rome, with its many associations to the ancient world. This painting, done in 1680 when he was eighty-two years old, represents Apollo, god of poetry and music, surrounded by the nine Muses, goddesses of the creative arts. At the upper right is the winged horse Pegasus, who has kicked a rock to release the spring that is the source of artistic inspiration. Although most of Claude's paintings included biblical or classical themes, their true subject was the light, atmosphere, and poetic mood of the natural world.

This picture is now in Museum of Fine Arts (Boston).

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Albums: Edward Gray's Fantastic Harringay Art Collection

Comment by Liz on March 23, 2008 at 11:39: Gray must have been a real connoisseur. Anyone serious about art wanted a Claudean landscape.
Claude Lorrain was considered the last word in creating works of ideal classical beauty and almost certainly influenced Constable and Turner.
In the 18th century, people used to view landscape backwards through 'Claude mirrors' which were tinted brown to imbue a scene with his warm mellow tones.

Comment by Hugh on March 23, 2008 at 22:44: Liz, I'm impressed with your fine art knowledge. The less said about the paucity of my own, the better.