Et In Arcadia Ego (hanging in Louvre Museum, Paris) must be one of Poussin’s most famous paintings. The main reason for this renown, according to critics (read Wikipedia article on Et In Arcadia Ego), lies in this piece being a visual representation of the art of painting, no less. Though this interpretation might seem remote, and self-referential, it becomes clearer upon closer examination.
Poussin painted two versions, the one below achieving the status it enjoys today: it depicts three shepherds and a woman gathered around a sarcophagus, engaged in mourning, reading, discussing, and contemplating the lapidary vision.
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Poussin’s Eliezer and Rebecca presents a curious departure from the solemn subject matter often preferred by the painter. This is an everyday scene where the majority of the actors perform everyday tasks; Eliezer himself, if we remember, was a servant. In this piece Poussin offers a generous and keen psychological portrait of girlhood, describing a blend of realistic emotions modern observers can easily identify with. Though the artist illuminates this encounter in a favorable light, he avoids sentimentality or aggrandizement.
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