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How did the deaths of Richelieu and Louis XIII affect Nicolas Poussin’s career?

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Nicolas Poussin: Adoration of the Golden Calf — Nicolas Poussin *Adoration of the Golden Calf*, oil on canvas by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1634. 153.4 × 211.8 cm.

The deaths of Cardinal Richelieu in December 1642 and King Louis XIII four months later were pivotal for Nicolas Poussin’s career, as they effectively absolved him of any obligation to return to the French court.1

Poussin had been working in Paris since 1640 as First Painter to the King, a period he found deeply unhappy due to the diverse and demanding royal commissions that compromised his creative independence. When he returned to Rome in 1642—ostensibly to fetch his wife—the passing of his royal patrons allowed him to remain in Italy for the rest of his life. This freedom enabled him to focus on his own artistic development, leading to the creation of his most significant works, including his second Seven Sacraments series and his influential landscape paintings.1