Champney (1817-1907) began as an apprentice to a lithographer in Boston.  Reportedly, the American old master Washington Allston advised Champney to study in Paris, then the young artist departed in 1841.  He must have been a success, since his landscape views of the outskirts of Paris appeared at the Salons of 1843 and 1844. In the Louvre Champney made copies of landscapes by Claude Lorrain, Joseph Vernet and Ruysdael.  He said that he fell in love with the landscapes of Diaz (showing 500 of 6138 characters).