NICOLAS POUSSIN (1594-1665) AND CLASSICAL PAINTING

Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE by calling The French Class at (415) 362-3666

A conference in French presented by Renée Morel
$25

This conference will be offered only once at The French Class:

Tuesday, March 10, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

A supreme master of formal design in Western art, Poussin was the greatest painter of the French classical period (its “Golden Age” or 17^th Century), contrasting with the excesses of the Baroque. A modest, yet proud and independent spirit, he refused to live the life of a courtier despite entreaties such as the prestigious title of “First Painter of the King” bestowed upon him by both Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Poussin spent most of his life in Rome, patronized by merchants, bankers, and civil servants. Inspired by Plutarch, Homer and the Bible, this artist who excelled in all genres ceaselessly tried to move and elevate. This is why he has remained, even throughout the 20^th century, the major source of inspiration for painters attracted by the classical style, like David, Ingres, and even Seurat, Cézanne, and even Picasso.