A French painter and draughtsman, active in Italy, Nicolas Poussin's supreme achievement as an artist lies in his unrivalled marriage of dramatic narratives and expressions of human passions within a formal harmony of design. Focused on the search for a point of equilibrium and synthesis between the forces of the Classical and the Baroque, Poussin's work embodied the critical artistic debate in Rome during the 1630s. This fully illustrated title explores Poussin's life and work, including an analysis of his working methods and technique, and delves into both his own writings and the critical reception of his work. With the addition of an extensive bibliography, discover the grandeur of Poussin's designs with Grove Art Essentials.