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Poussin

Name Nicolas Poussin

Achievements: Drew up the rules for Classical painting followed by the academies of the time.

Born: June 1594; Les Andelys, Normandy, France

Died: November 19, 1665; Lucina, Italy

Field & Discipline: Art; Painter

Language: French

Father: Jean Poussin

Mother: Marie Delaisement

Siblings: Unknown

Spouse: Ann-Marie

Children: Unknown

Education: Local school in Les Andelys

Major Work:

“Death of Germanicus” (1628)

“The Rape of the Sabine Women” (1637)

“Seven Sacraments”

Life & Times:

Poussin appears to have been an only child of a peasant couple.  As a young man he showed signs of artistic talent and attracted  the attention of a prominent artist named Quentin Varin in 1612.  Varin encouraged Poussin to explore painting and acted as his first instructor.

Shortly afterwards Poussin moved to Paris to begin his painting career.   Some sources say that because he had little money or knowledge he soon grew frustrated and returned home.  Others maintain that he stayed in Paris until 1623.

While in Paris, he worked under artists whose Flemish background influenced his work.  Then Poussin met Giambattista Marino, an Italian poet and collector, who became his patron and helped him travel to Rome.

There he studied [influenced by] Raphael*’s work and began to experiment with mannerism.  Raphael greatly influenced Poussin,  as can be seen in his  “Triumph of David,” “The Capture of Jerusalem by Titius,” and “The Battle Scenes.”

In Rome, Poussin experienced difficulties.  His patron Marino fell ill and could no longer support him.  However, soon he met his next patron, Cassiano dal Pozzo.   Pozzo encouraged Poussin to study the Venetian Bacchanals by [influenced by] Titian* and [studied work of] Giovanni Bellini*.  Titian, a highly regarded Renaissance painter, influenced Poussin to create more romantic, poetic work.

While Mannerism was a complicated style characterized by muscular and slender figures, Baroque art, which followed, used more emotional expression and realistic representation.  Generally, Poussin’s art is more characteristic of the Baroque.

In 1626, he shared a house with Jacques Dughet,  who looked after him during a period of ill-health.  In 1630, Poussin married Dughet’s daughter Ann-Marie.  He also befriended Ann-Marie’s brother,  Gaspard Dughet, with whom he would later live and work.

Many of Poussin’s works were historical, illustrating Roman mythology and culture.  The works have a theatrical feel and often skillfully used light and color to express mood.

In 1628 Poussin painted his first masterpiece: “Death of Germanicus,” in which he combined Baroque and Classical styles.   His “Self-Portrait” (1630) marks his definitive move towards Classicism, as does “The Massacre of the Innocents.”

During this time Poussin began to develop his own unique style.  In 1639 he completed the “Bacchanals” for Cardinal [commissioned by] Richelieu*.   Between 1634 and 1642, Pozzo encouraged Poussin to produce a sequence of paintings: “The Seven Sacraments,”  which show the influence of Jacques Louis [influenced by] David*.

By now Poussin was gaining recognition and Louis XIII  brought him back to France to work.  Poussin’s two-year stay there was disastrous.  He was assigned jobs, such as panel work, for which he was not qualified.  Further, he felt he did not receive adequate appreciation or pay for his work.  He also had problems with other French artists as well as with the King’s officials.  Fed up, he returned to Rome in December 1642.

Back in Rome, he met Fréart de Chantelou, who became his friend and patron at a time when Poussin was beginning to deal with themes such as morality and with characters in Roman mythology who exhibited virtue and reason.  Between 1644 and 1648, Poussin reworked “The Seven Sacraments.”

His new paintings now focused more on religious themes and were more coherent, unified and powerful.  They also reflected Poussin’s use of light and color to express a mood.

In 1648 Poussin added landscapes in masterpieces such as “Funeral of Phocin,”  in which he which focused on the relationship between nature and humankind.

As Poussin grew older his paintings grew more religious: “Christ and the Adulteress” (1653) and “The Baptism of Christ” (1657).

By 1660 he became ill and died five years later

Extra Connections:  His painting View of the Villa Madama shows the influence of  [influenced by] Velazquez*’s View of the Villa Medici Gardens.

Assessment: He is regarded as the founder of French Classical painting

Oneliner: Nicolas Poussin, founder of French Classical painting

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