Artist of the week
Saints, a giant and a dragon
Nicolas Poussin
Nicolas Poussin, a French painter who worked in Rome, from the 1620s to 1658. Peter and John stand over a lame man on the temple steps, Romulus, in red, looks down as his soldiers seize the Sabine women, two soldiers in silver armour face a dragon while a woman waits in a golden boat, and blind Orion strides through a forest, a guide on his shoulders. Then two dark pictures: Midas with his face in the river, and Christ reaching for the cup an angel brings as his disciples sleep.
As a puzzle
Start with the robes: orange, pink, red and deep blue on the temple steps and in the Sabine crowd, then the silver armour of Rinaldo’s companions. The Sabine Women is crowded from edge to edge and takes a high count. Orion is slower: mostly green leaves and grey cloud. Midas and The Agony in the Garden are dark brown nearly all over, with only skin, a white shirt and a little gold light to hold, so keep those low.
A good size here: 40–250 pieces.
Also filed under Italian and French Baroque
Subjects here: Myths and LegendsSacred ArtLandscapes
6 pictures, pick one to build
