In this blog post, we will examine Poussin’s artistic philosophy and the influence of ancient Greek and Roman art, and explore how he pursued ideal beauty and immutability.
The 17th-century French painter N. Poussin sought to express eternal and ideal beauty that transcends the experiential dimension through his paintings. His artistic philosophy went beyond mere aesthetic expression and was the result of deep contemplation that explored the essence of human existence and sought to discover the ideals hidden within it. This allowed his works to appeal to viewers on a level beyond simple visual pleasure.
Through his paintings, viewers can discover the principle of eternal beauty rather than momentary beauty. The Baroque art was prevalent during his lifetime, but he defined it as an artistic activity lacking intellectual thought, as it mainly depicted the artist’s spontaneous emotions.
Instead of avoiding randomness and changeability, he sought the principles of beauty in the classicism of ancient Greek and Roman art, which pursued ideal beauty and immutability. This was because Poussin believed that reason was the ability to grasp the universal principles of nature, and since ancient Greek and Roman art was based on reason, he believed that ancient art could provide universal principles that could be applied to all ages.
Therefore, he used myths, history, and stories from the Bible, which were the main subjects of ancient art, as the subjects of his paintings, and converted them from a narrative dimension to a poetic dimension, using restrained and condensed expressions. To this end, he thoroughly excluded any elements that might distract the viewer’s attention. In addition, when depicting figures in his works, he believed that in order to best reveal the theme, he should select the most ideal ancient sculptures that matched his expressive intentions and pose them in artificial positions.
In terms of composition, he sought to create a stable structure by applying the principles of geometric space composition, utilizing balance, symmetry, lines, and shapes based solely on the laws of reason. This was an attempt to embody in his paintings what he believed to be the eternal and unchanging essence of nature: harmony and order. Poussin’s artistic approach was closely related to the cultural and philosophical background of his time.
The 17th century in Europe was an era that valued reason and rationalism, and philosophers such as René Descartes regarded reason as the foundation of all knowledge. Influenced by this philosophical trend, Poussin also emphasized the role of reason in his artwork. He believed that art was not merely a sensory experience, but something that should be understood and interpreted through reason. Therefore, his works go beyond mere visual pleasure and require deep thought and reflection from the viewer.
Poussin’s efforts to depict eternal essence and ideal beauty through these principles of expression are evident in his landscape paintings, as in his other works. He sought to express the universal essence of human life through the lives of historical heroes, using strict order and harmony in his landscapes. His landscapes feature natural backgrounds and specially selected buildings. The natural landscapes in his works are not realistic representations of nature, but rather Poussin’s idealized and essential images of nature, and ancient buildings are also used as part of the background to show ideal beauty. He gave nature a strict order and harmony by using a clear distinction between the foreground, middle ground, and background, symmetry between the left and right sides, a gradual transition from the foreground to the background, and a geometric order of horizontal and vertical lines. Therefore, using the lives of heroic figures as his subject matter, he selected only the great and special things in nature to express the essence of life that all human beings should pursue.
Poussin’s artistic vision was consistently reflected in his works, and he sought to strictly apply the principles of expression he had established as clear rules to all of his works. In this sense, art was the result of conscious work for him. For this reason, the aesthetic pleasure that viewers feel through his works can be seen as intellectual and spiritual rather than sensory.
Furthermore, his works go beyond simply providing visual satisfaction to viewers, enriching their inner worlds and prompting them to ask profound philosophical questions. This is consistent with the ultimate goal of art that Poussin pursued. Art is not mere decoration, but a means of exploring the essence of human existence and reaching higher ideals through that essence. Poussin’s artistic philosophy has had a profound influence on many artists since then.
His classical approach inspired artists of the 18th-century Enlightenment and Neoclassicism, and remains an important aesthetic standard even today. His works have a timeless aesthetic value and continue to deeply move many people today. Poussin’s art is not simply a legacy of the past, but a valuable asset for the present and the future.
Poussin’s artistic legacy is not limited to his works of art. His philosophy and approach provide new perspectives on art education, aesthetic research, and art appreciation. Today, many artists and art lovers are inspired by his works, which continue to occupy an important place in museums and galleries around the world. This is a testament to the enduring value of Poussin’s art and the profound impression he left on the art world.
