NICOLAS POUSSIN

Delacroix so begins a historical essay about the artist: "Poussin′s life reflected in his works, and just as beautiful and noble, as they are. This is an excellent example for all who decided to devote himself to art. "

"His works were for the most noble examples of minds, Kojima must follow in order to climb the peaks achieved by few" - said of Poussin Bellori.

"My nature leads me to seek and to love the things, well organized, avoiding disorderliness, which to me as hateful as the darkness of the world" - said he Poussin.

Nicolas Poussin was born in the village of Villiers, that between the Greater and Lesser Andelys June 15, 1594.

Attraction to the art he had already manifested in childhood. We know that Nicolas in his spare time from school did not part with the album and a pencil, making spectacular gains in the figure.

He understood that by remaining in the province, he is in the best case would be self-taught artist. So unbeknownst to the parents of eighteen Poussin goes to Paris.

Without a penny in my pocket, not having the capital nor the noble patrons, or even just friends, he could find himself in a hopeless situation. However, capricious fate itself had come to his aid. In Paris, Poussin met a young chevalier of Poitou, who had a passion for art, who sheltered in their traveler. At that time Nikola everywhere looking for opportunities to learn something, but did not find in Paris, neither teachers nor the system that could help him to perfect the art.

For a long time he did not see the teacher, for whom would follow. Desperate to find a mentor among contemporary artists, he so zealously devoted himself to study more of the great masters of antiquity and the Renaissance: classical art "was for him in these years, mother′s milk. " Of course, that he conceived the idea of a trip to Italy.

In 1624 Poussin, after several unsuccessful attempts, managed to finally get to Rome, where he spent years carefully studying and copying the old masters. Until the end of his life he believed the ancient sculptures and Raphael his teachers. Poussin studied geometry, optics, anatomy, making measurements of ancient monuments. He is familiar with works by Dürer′s theory of art, illustrated manuscripts of Leonardo da Vinci. Poussin learns continuously and independently. He understands Latin and philosophy, the reputation of being an educated man.

Photo — «Nicolas Poussin»

A few years after he settled in Rome, Poussin began working on the orders of Cardinal Barberini, his secretary Cassiano del Pozzo Chevalier, and soon - and the other Roman aristocrats.

In the late twenties, Poussin painted The Death of Germanicus, where elected as the hero of the Roman commander, killed at the hands of the envious.

Preserved a curious document showing admiration, which caused belonged to the Barberini Poussin′s paintings - "The Capture of Jerusalem", "Death of Germanicus. This letter from a certain Jacques Martin, a French physician. It tells that once, when in the office of Cardinal admired a painting by Poussin, have won fame, a young artist, bursting with impatience to the temple of Fame, but walking, but from other people′s footsteps, because he knew how long and hard Path discovery and easy way of imitation, asked permission to copy the original so perfect . . . Contemplating then both pictures and making sure to utter their likeness, he lifted up, rejoicing in the happy results of the work. But suddenly he was seized with fear, as though not accused him of stealing the original . . . or a desire to forge the last so well that the cardinal, not being able to identify their property, would have left her in his hands. Embarrassed, he took two things at the palace of Cardinal. He was surprised and called Poussin himself, so he stretched out audience Ariadne′s thread, would bring them out of the labyrinth, where they lost . . . Poussin, considering the picture, do not become like the majority of artists who imagine that they get the glory, taking it from others . . . He pretended that he could not distinguish where his own creation . . . "

The participants expect that the cardinal, as a kind of oracle, authorize their doubts. "It should keep the two paintings! - Exclaimed his Reverence. - I pay tribute to the painter, who was able to rediscover the mystery of reproduction of gold and precious stones! "

But there is another, much stronger evidence of recognition, which Poussin had already made in Rome. In early 1628 he was assigned to write altarpiece for one of the side chapels of the cathedral of St. Petra, which was required to torment St. Erasmus. That was a big order of social values.

"Saint Erasmus presented with their hands tied, thrown on the bench. Bending over a martyr butcher cut open his stomach and pulls out the inside, twisting them into a wooden shaft.

Photo — «Nicolas Poussin»

Shaken pain naked body of St. Erasmus does not like classically beautiful body of the heroes of other paintings by Nicolas Poussin. The artist, still strive to create an ideal image, was forced to sacrifice their life for the sake of credibility and expression. He wrote almost naked body of the holy with the naturalistic care, elaborating in detail the folds of the skin, swollen veins, strained tendons "(A. S. Glickman).

Although work on the "Martyrdom of St. Erasmus "required a vast expenditure of time and effort, the artist had in the interval between 1627 and 1629 a year to write another series of paintings:" Parnassus "," Inspiration of the poet, " Saving Moses, "Moses, purifying water Marah", " , Madonna, is St. . James the Elder. "

In 1629 Poussin became seriously ill and was forced to stop work for several months. He helped fellow countryman, Jean Dyuge pieman who kept a tavern. Dyuge and his family have made trouble for the care of patients. Recovered, the artist to woo the eldest daughter Dyuge - Marie-Anne. They were married Sept. 1, 1630. Marie-Anne had brought her husband a small dowry she had received from the management of the Parish. From now on, "he could get rid of a rented apartment, settle in their own home and, finding peace of mind, a foothold in their chosen path. "

In the early thirties Poussin creates an original painting "The Kingdom of Flora", which are connected in a complex arrangement of figures and illustrating episodes from the "Metamorphoses" by Ovid. By mid-thirties, is painting "Tancred and Erminia (Hermitage).

Here is what these paintings NA Livshits: "The Kingdom of Flora" and "Tancred and Erminia" are among the paintings by Poussin, different thin and rich color development. But this group works completely fits into the framework of a particular painting system, which has already been drawn up by the artist to top the 30-ies. Figure (ie, the outlines of figures and objects) he always minted, as in the ancient relief. The coloring is usually based on pure local color, including the central role played by indecomposable simple colors - blue, red and yellow. Light from Poussin′s always distracted, even. Nuances are given sparingly and precisely. This is where a color system, and reaches Poussin great expressiveness.

In 1632, Poussin was elected member of the Academy of St.

Photo — «Nicolas Poussin»

Luke. He leads a solitary life. Being closed, unsociable, he could not stand idle talk. He devoted his leisure hours are usually reading or inspection of collections Urban VIII, Cardinal Barberini, Kasian del Pozzo and other major collectors.

Discarding the specific and individual features in the shape and nature of man, Poussin develops canons of beauty, more and more close to the antique. But even Delacroix rightly observed that in the works of ancient masters, Poussin studies primarily man, and instead of being satisfied with the revival of chlamydia and peplum, he resurrects a courageous genius of the ancient image of the human form and emotions. "

"As one of the best and most characteristic works by Poussin late thirties to the mythological story could be called" Bacchanale. " Strict organization compositions of command is clear, evaluated rhythm, does not rule in her feelings clear, restrained in its manifestations of joy of being. Other problems are solved by Poussin in the multi-figure compositions, "Collecting manna" (1637-1639). Playing the exhausted, desperate people, suddenly removed from the starvation of divine providence, he seeks to find expression of their feelings engulfed in the plastic figures in a variety of movements and gestures. This pattern is so characteristic of the classical system of matching plastic characteristics and gestures emotional content of images. Like any system, it concealed the danger of a schematic and normativity, what to say in the work of some artists, who considered themselves followers of Poussin and replace direct feeling ready for conditional admission "(VI Razdolsky).

By the end of the thirties, the artist′s fame is growing. He is not forgotten and in France, where he was working under orders of French friends and admirers. His fame comes at the beginning of 1639 to Louis XIII, who on the advice of Richelieu, Poussin calls to the court.

However, the exact representation of the style and creative possibilities Poussin at the court no one had. Apparently, it saw just a famous wizard, who can be entrusted with the official orders of the court. Poussin did not want to go and visit long delayed, but at the end of 1640 he went to Paris, leaving the house and his wife in Rome and hope as soon as possible to return.

A few months later (September 20, 1641), the artist wrote to Rome: ".

Photo — «Nicolas Poussin»

. . If I had a long stay in this country, I have become a pachkuna, like others who are here. " But the fragments of another letter in April 1642: "I never knew what the king wants from me, his servant, and I do not think that he told anyone what I′m good . . . For me it is impossible to tackle and for the frontispiece for books and for the Mother of God, and for now for the congregation of St. . Louis, for all the pictures for the gallery and at the same time to make paintings for the Royal Tapestry Workshop . . . "

At the end of 1642 Poussin went to Rome, promising to return, although it was not going to do it. Death of Louis XIII soon freed him from those obligations.

After returning to Italy, the artist more often paints landscapes. Now often the main content of the work is expressed through the image of distant spaces, a comparison of rectangular forms of architecture with lush canopy of trees and sloping contours of the hills. In this figure always present. They reveal and emphasize the main thrust of the work.

One of the most famous master of landscapes - "Landscape with Polyphemus (1649). All grandly in this landscape: the trees, and rocks, and Polyphemus himself. The combination of colors that are dominant in the picture - green, blue, blue - gives the landscape a great solemnity. In this picture the worship of the artist to power, eternity and majesty of nature. Human figures serve only to scale, which gives the feel the enormity of the world. Images of nature - that′s the main thing in this painting by Poussin, and the ancient myth of the artist suggested the plot works.

At the time of the highest rise of poetic inspiration Poussin created a second version of the picture "Arcadian shepherds" (1650-1655). At this time the artist managed to agree on the depth of feeling with the purity of mathematical construction.

"Painting is dedicated to philosophical and yet elegiac meditation on death - notes NA Livshits. - Poussin seeks a broad, general statement of the issue and therefore refuses to speak about someone′s death, the grief of people who lost a close. It shows the feelings that arose in the form of a lonely tomb of the unknown, the forgotten man. This tomb stands at ease among the valleys of Arcadia - the legendary country happy, honest, pure in heart shepherds. They surround a forgotten tomb and read the words carved on it.

Photo — «Nicolas Poussin»

"And I lived in Arcadia. " This inscription, these words are buried and converted to a living, it is a reminder of their inevitable fate evoke sadness and anxiety in simple souls Arcadian Shepherds. One of them reads, bent, the other, thinking, and numb, listening, and the third, not taking his hands from the sad words of the inscription, raises dimmed, questioning glance at his companion. The only female figure in this painting is like the incarnation of spiritual appeasement of the philosophical balance, which leads the viewer the whole rhythmic structure, all the sound of this picture . . . "

A creative way Poussin ends creating a series of four landscapes (1660-1664), symbolizing the seasons and complemented by biblical scenes. This - the top of the landscape art master.

"Inevitable movement of nature from life to death, from flowering to wilting in them inseparable from human destiny embodied in the episodes of the biblical legends - wrote VI Razdolsky. - In "Spring" against the backdrop of luxuriant vegetation paradise depicted the first people - Adam and Eve. "Summer" is solved as a majestic scene of the harvest, and on the background of golden grain is shown meeting of Ruth and Boaz. "Autumn" is embodied in the harsh, sun-scorched landscape against which the emissaries of the Jewish people sneaked a huge bunch of Canaan, like a blend of the life-giving juices of nature. "

In the last scene "Winter" shows a scene of the Flood. The element of blind and ruthless. "Winter" is written in a kind of cold, "ice" color, crossed by dragging a sense of impending doom. "Terrible Beauty" - said about this painting of Goethe.

After graduating in 1665 "winter", he knew he would never write anything. He was not very old, but a titanic work undermined his health, and when his wife died, he realized that would not survive this loss. A few months before his death (November 19, 1665), he wrote to Paris to his biographer Filibenu, refusing to comply with an order of a French royal princes: "Too late, he can not be well-served. I′m sick, and the paralysis prevents me from moving. Already some time ago I parted with a brush and think only about how to prepare for death. I feel it with all my being. With me is over.