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How did Pablo Picasso seek to emulate Nicolas Poussin’s art?
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Nicolas Poussin
Adoration of the Golden Calf, oil on canvas by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1634. 153.4 × 211.8 cm.
During the rise of the Neoclassical style in the 1920s, Pablo Picasso sought to emulate the purity, serenity, and grandeur found in the work of Nicolas Poussin.1
Poussin, a foundational figure in the French Classical tradition, is celebrated for his narrative clarity and disciplined, rational approach to painting. While his legacy has been interpreted in various ways by different generations—ranging from the formal design admired by Paul Cézanne to the poetic mythologies favored by Romantics—Picasso’s specific interest during this period focused on the idealized, serene qualities that defined Poussin's mature style.21