Landscapes: Imaginary landscapes

Claude, 'The Enchanted Castle', 1664. London, The National Gallery.

The aim of landscape painting is to represent space and light convincingly, and to communicate sensations such as warmth and peace. A successful landscape painting need not refer to an actual location. An artist may create an imaginary scene to convey the emotions of the human subjects of the picture. The painter may exaggerate features of nature or bring together several actual places or areas. The location of the painting by Claude shown here, for example, certainly never existed.

Claude has created this atmospheric scenery in order to show the beautiful maiden Psyche in the surroundings of the enchanted castle of her lover, Cupid. The misty sea and landscape, with the fantastic castle rising up from the rocks are an appropriate setting for the thoughtful figure of Psyche in the foreground.

See Also

• Attributed to Patinir, 'Saint Jerome in a Rocky Landscape'
• Mantegna, 'Agony in the Garden'
• Altdorfer, 'Landscape with a Footbridge'

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