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Which paintings represent the high point of Nicolas Poussin’s figure painting in the late 1640s?
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Nicolas Poussin
Adoration of the Golden Calf, oil on canvas by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1634. 153.4 × 211.8 cm.
The late 1640s represent the high point of Nicolas Poussin’s career, during which he produced some of his most noble and austere figure paintings. These works are characterized by a strict, uncompromising integration of figures within their settings, achieving a high degree of unity across both the depth and the two-dimensional surface of the canvas.1
The paintings that represent this pinnacle of his figure painting include:
- Eliezer and Rebecca1
- The Holy Family on the Steps1
- The Judgment of Solomon1
These masterpieces are noted for their visual tension between space and surface design, possessing a sense of splendour and finality that ranks them among the greatest achievements of Classical art.1