Dughet, Gaspard

Gaspard Dughet, also called Gaspard Poussin, byname Le Guaspre, (born June 15, 1615, Rome, Papal States [Italy]—died May 25, 1675, Rome), landscape painter of the Baroque period known for his topographic views of the Roman Campagna. He worked chiefly in Rome and its vicinity throughout his life, but, because his father was French, it is usual to class him among the French school. Dughet’s sister married Nicolas Poussin, and he called himself after his famous brother-in-law.

Dughet’s style is familiar, being composed mainly of elements derived from Poussin, with whom he studied, and from Claude Lorrain. He tended sometimes toward the former’s architectonic grandeur, sometimes toward the latter’s more lyrical style, but as a rule produced a compromise between them. Most of his paintings express the character of the countryside near Rome. He excelled at depicting storms in his landscapes. Major series of his works are in galleries and churches in Rome. Brought back by English travelers, many of Dughet’s works are still in England where, in the 18th century, they were taken as models for garden and landscape designs.