It explores the challenges the artist met of capturing the human figure in motion, the colourful and the complex patterns of dance, and how he sought to crystallise these in a single, most representative image.

The National Gallery’s exhibition focuses on Poussin’s ‘dancing pictures’ in the 1620s and 30s as the fruit of his artistic experience in Rome. For example, there still exists a number of particularly refined drawings he made in Rome of Trajan’s column (now in the Musée Condé, Chantilly). Marino was to die not long after but these formative experiences were instrumental in leading him to Rome in 1624 where, following his patron’s advice there, he studiously absorbed every source of antiquity available including frescoes, mosaics, and Roman ruins. The so-called ‘Marino drawings’ with their complex groupings of figures were to hold great significance as they provided the creative embryo from which Poussin’s style in the Roman period was to develop. As the ailing poet watched on, Poussin executed some spontaneously beautiful drawings (now in the Royal Library at Windsor Castle).

Marino was ill, and he commissioned his talented lodger to do some illustrations from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. This drew much attention, and a sophisticated Italian poet, Giovanni Battista Marino, consequently gave the painter some rooms in his house (from 1622-3). In 1622 a turning point came when, with astonishing confidence, he completed six large tempera paintings (now lost) in just six days for the Jesuits. Arriving there in 1612 he studied anatomy, perspective, and architecture – the Royal art collection was a particular source of inspiration – and also secured a series of major art commissions. Like many young artists in France, he initially sought out his career in Paris. He remains a continuing point of reference in the art world, and several of London’s galleries house major works by him.Īlthough French by birth, and of minor nobility from Normandy, we can consider him to be as much ‘Italian’ in his artistic outlook. Although his often erudite subject matter has meant that he has never been a big crowd-puller, his paintings’ unique combination of both formal and abstract qualities has been hugely revered by many of the top artists including Ingres, Degas, Cézanne, and later on Picasso, especially. Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) was not only the supreme classical artist of the 17th century he also formed the basis of Academic painting in France up until the late eighteenth century. Photo Credit: © Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

National gallery exhibits