Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) was the greatest French painter of the 17th century, and one of the greatest painters of all time. His profound understanding of the art of antiquity and of the Italian Renaissance led him to create works of such sophistication, clarity and discipline that they remained the model for all classicising artists up to Cezanne and even into our own century. Although Poussin's subject-matter was largely religious and mythological, Richard Verdi shows in his illuminating introductory essay that it derived from themes and preoccupations that were intensely personal in origin. At the same time, Poussin's study of the countryside around Rome laid the foundations for landscape paintings of heroic grandeur and lyrical beauty." "This catalogue accompanies the first comprehensive exhibition of Poussin's paintings in Britain, staged to mark the 400th anniversary of the artist's birth. Some ninety paintings have been assembled from public and private collections throughout the world for an exhibition of the highest scholarly importance, as well as one of great popular appeal. The works have been selected by Pierre Rosenberg, Director of the Louvre, who contributes a distinguished essay to this catalogue, and by Neil MacGregor, Director of the National Gallery in London." "This lavish and beautifully illustrated volume encompasses much recent research on Poussin, and as such will be of vital interest to art historians. It also explores and clarifies an art that is fundamental to the Western classical tradition, and presents it in all its splendour. As a study of the artist and the genesis of his major works, it is unlikely to be superseded for some time."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This first-rate title is the catalog of a 90-painting retrospective held at Britain's Royal Academy to mark the 400th anniversary of Poussin's birth. A founder of modern classicism and an influence on such later masters as Ingres and Cézanne, he is considered by some art historians to be the greatest French artist of all time. Verdi offers a scholarly and judicious appraisal of the paintings in the show‘a splendid grouping of the artist's best-known canvases, which make up about a third of his oeuvre. Verdi also has written a valuable essay that discusses the expression of Poussin's personality through the artist's choice of themes‘an expression made possible because of the high degree of creative freedom Poussin's Roman patrons allowed him. While Verdi's book is informative, it lacks the thoroughness of a catalogue raisonné. Readers seeking comprehensive works should turn to Alain Merot's very accessible Nicholas Poussin (LJ 2/1/91) or Anthony Blunt's identically titled study (LJ 3/1/67), which remains the definitive academic treatment. Still, this well-illustrated book is recommended for large art collections.‘Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., Cal. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

French classical painter Poussin, who settled in Rome in 1624 at the age of 30, has been championed by successive generations of French artists who considered him the exemplar that justified and sustained their own efforts. Featuring 90 color and 210 black-and-white reproductions, this tony catalogue of a major exhibition in Paris and London showcases an artist who looks modern in his use of color to mirror his subjects' underlying emotions, and in his concern for abstract harmony and formal design. Verdi, an art professor in England, discusses the strong influence of ancient Stoic philosophy on Poussin's painting, and the predominant theme of ill-fated or unrequited love in his early works (possibly linked to the artist's venereal disease). Moving beyond his early, restless experimentation, Poussin in his middle years did religious, historical or mythological scenes that gauge the progress of humanity. Then come the personal, poetic allegories of his late, pantheistic canvases. Rosenberg, director of the Louvre, chose the paintings for the exhibit. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

CHOICE Review

In this catalog, published in conjunction with the 1994-95 Paris and London exhibit of Poussin, the most comprehensive to date, Verdi gives a stylistic overview of Poussin's career, offering a new chronology for his early oeuvre. The catalog includes attributions such as the Assumption of the Virgin (cat.23), a work rejected by Jacques Thuillier and Doris Wild. Although Verdi's stylistic reasoning is not compelling enough to revise Poussin's traditional chronology and expand his oeuvre, the inclusive catalog does allow a comprehensive study of Poussin. Verdi's interpretations of Poussin's subject matter, such as his suggestion that Poussin's hypothetical yearning for children led him to focus on baby themes in his later career, are interesting but tenuous and need more support from primary documents, such as Poussin's letters. Finally, Pierre Rosenberg contributes a useful discussion of Poussin's relationship to French art patrons as reflected in the Louvre collection. Despite the high quality of previous catalogues raisonn'es, this book is nevertheless valuable for its use of excellent color plates and a complete catalog that will help scholars continue to better understand Poussin's artistic development. Upper-division undergraduate; graduate; faculty. A. L. Palmer; University of Oklahoma

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Robert Neil MacGregor, OM, FSA (born on June 16, 1946, in Glasgow, Scotland) is an art historian and museum director. He was the Editor of the Burlington Magazine from 1981 to 1987, the Director of the National Gallery, London, from 1987 to 2002, and was appointed Director of the British Museum in 2002. He has presented three television series on art and the radio series A History of the World in 100 Objects, which aired in 2010.

(Bowker Author Biography)