How did Nicolas Poussin use preparatory drawings for his paintings?

As Nicolas Poussin transitioned toward a more severe and cerebral Classical style in the 1630s, he increasingly relied on detailed preparatory drawings to organize his complex compositions. These drawings were essential to his process, allowing him to achieve the narrative clarity and rigorous order characteristic of his work, where figures were often arranged in a friezelike manner parallel to the picture plane.1

Beyond their role as preparation for paintings, Poussin also engaged in drawing under the open sky. In these instances, he combined realistic observations with humanistic concepts to create idealizing compositions, ensuring that figures and scenes were harmoniously integrated into spacious landscapes. While many of his contemporaries viewed drawing primarily as a stage in the creation of a painting, Poussin’s practice was deeply tied to his intellectual approach, helping him encapsulate complex sequences of events into unified, static images.21