Battle of Gideon Against the Midianites 1626

Nicolas Poussin painted this depiction of The Battle of Gideon Against the Midianites with oil on canvas sometime in the mid-17th century. The painting depicts a scene from the Old Testament in which the Israelite judge Gideon leads his army to victory over the Midianites. But what does it tell us about the society and institutions of Poussin’s time? Well, this image, brimming with classical references, was painted during the Baroque period, a time of great upheaval in Europe, with wars, religious conflicts, and political struggles. The Catholic Church was a major patron of the arts, and biblical scenes were often commissioned to promote religious piety and to illustrate the power of God's intervention in human affairs. To truly understand this artwork, we might consider how Poussin's own religious beliefs and political affiliations might have shaped his interpretation of the biblical story, and how the painting's reception was influenced by the social and political context in which it was created. Examining letters and archival documents can help us to better understand the artist's intentions.