Portret van Nicolas Poussin 1798 - 1898

Jean Louis Potrelle created this print, Portret van Nicolas Poussin, in the nineteenth century. Potrelle lived through a tumultuous period in French history that spanned the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era. His artistic choices reflect the aesthetic and cultural values of his time. Here, Potrelle immortalizes Nicolas Poussin, a celebrated painter of the French Baroque period. In the portrait, Poussin's gaze meets ours with a level of directness that feels both intimate and assertive. The interplay between the artist and his subject opens up questions about the role of portraiture in shaping historical narratives. Poussin's identity as a male artist is central to the image. Portraits such as this served to reinforce the dominant cultural narratives and power structures of the time, while also revealing the complexity and humanity inherent in individual experience.