Landscape with Saint John on Patmos

Landscape with Saint John on Patmos is a 1640 neoclassical painting by Nicolas Poussin. The painting features Saint John, banished to Patmos, writing the Book of Revelation amidst an ancient-inspired background.

Landscape with Saint John on Patmos
ArtistNicolas Poussin
Year1640
TypeOil on Canvas
Dimensions100.3 cm × 136.4 cm (39.5 in × 53.7 in)

Background

Nicolas Poussin is widely regarded as a proponent of the classical movement of the 17th century. On notes left unfinished before his death, Poussin sought to idealize what he had called 'the grand manner'. The paintings would feature a grand motif, and would be executed by arrangement, measure, and form.[1]

Subject and themes

In Poussin's paintings, large landscapes typically dominate the canvas.[1] Patmos is portrayed by Poussin as an open environment, showing a new world created from the old, symbolized by the ruined Greek buildings.[2] The setting shows a sunny sky above a classical era environment. In the foreground lies Saint John, posed similarly to an Ancient Greek god.[1] Saint John was banished to Patmos by the Roman Emperor Domitian for his Christian beliefs. Known for his visions recorded in the Book of Revelation, the painting represents the Saint recording his works.[3] In the background there is two oak trees, an obelisk, and the ruins of an ancient temple.[1] The decaying ancient buildings, which would often be repurposed by the Church, suggest the replacement of the old ways with Christianity. From the hills to the sky, the rest of the landscape is an imaginary setting created defying the rules of atmospheric perspective.[4]

Exhibition

The painting is part of a pair, the other one being one of Saint Matthew, that was presented to the secretary of Pope Urban VIII Gian Maria Rosicoli.[1] The work is currently housed in the Art Institute of Chicago.[2][5]

See also

References
  1. Kleiner 2015, p. 277.
  2. Boxall 2013, p. 197.
  3. The Art Institute of Chicago.
  4. Kleiner 2015, p. 278.
  5. Meskin, Cook & Ellis 2012, p. 12.

Bibliography

Books
  • Boxall, I. (2013). Patmos in the Reception History of the Apocalypse. Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs. OUP Oxford. ISBN 978-0-19-967420-6. Retrieved 2018-07-06.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Kleiner, F.S. (2015). Gardner's Art through the Ages: A Global History. Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-305-54487-1. Retrieved 2018-07-06.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Meskin, A.; Cook, R.T.; Ellis, W. (2012). The Art of Comics: A Philosophical Approach. New Directions in Aesthetics. Wiley. ISBN 978-1-4443-3464-7. Retrieved 2018-07-06.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Web
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