The final paintings in this exhibition were made between 1610 and 1680, at a time when some artists were exploring the depiction of landscape as a subject in its own right, rather than always as a setting for a historical, mythological or biblical narrative.

The landscapes capture the beauty and drama of nature, placing us directly within a scene. We experience contrasting atmospheres from an idyllic pastoral view, to a calm harbour, to a dramatic storm. Above all the quality that draws us into these paintings is the fleeting, powerful light, whether symbolic or pure expression. This luminosity was particularly cultivated by Claude Lorrain and adopted to great effect by Dutch Italianate painters Jan Both and Nicolaes Berchem. 

Frederick, Prince of Wales, collected the atmospheric landscapes by Claude and Gaspard Dughet and commissioned the elaborate French frames they are still displayed in today. They were hung in Buckingham House by his son, George III.