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Why did King Louis XIII invite Nicolas Poussin to Paris?
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Nicolas Poussin
Adoration of the Golden Calf, oil on canvas by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1634. 153.4 × 211.8 cm.
King Louis XIII invited Nicolas Poussin to Paris in 1639 to serve as the First Painter to the King.1
Upon his arrival in December 1640, Poussin was tasked with the decoration of royal residences. His specific responsibilities included:
- Executing designs for the Long Gallery of the Louvre.1
- Painting altarpieces for the king and members of the court.1
- Designing book illustrations.1
Although Poussin was initially reluctant to leave Rome, he was repeatedly pressured by Cardinal Richelieu, the king’s first minister, to accept the command. Poussin ultimately found the diverse range of royal commissions and the necessity of working with a team of assistants to be detrimental to his creative independence, leading him to return to Rome in 1642.1