Claude Lorrain had apparently befriended his fellow Frenchman Nicolas Poussin, with whom he has traveled the Roman Campagna, sketching landscapes.

Though both have been called landscape painters, in Poussin the landscape is a background to the figures; whereas for Claude, despite figures in one corner of the canvas, the true subjects are the land, the sea, and the air.

By report, he often engages other artists to paint the figures for him, including Courtois and Filippo Lauri.

He remarks to those purchasing his pictures that he sells them the landscape; the figures are gratis.