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What hardships did Nicolas Poussin face during his first years in Rome?
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Nicolas Poussin
Adoration of the Golden Calf, oil on canvas by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1634. 153.4 × 211.8 cm.
Upon arriving in Rome in the spring of 1624, Nicolas Poussin faced significant hardship and misfortune. Shortly after his arrival, his early champion and supporter, the Italian poet Giambattista Marino, moved to Naples, where he died in 1625.1
Left without this key patron, Poussin became destitute. To survive, he was forced to produce a large volume of biblical and mythological paintings in an urgent attempt to find buyers. Additionally, he later suffered from illness around 1630, during which he was nursed back to health by the family of Jacques Dughet.1