An artwork on Galleree from The Art Institute of Chicago.
About the artwork
Landscape with Saint John on PatmosNicolas Poussin (French, 1594–1665)
1640
France
100.3 × 136.4 cm (39 1/2 × 53 5/8 in.); Framed: 128.6 × 164.1 cm (50 5/8 × 64 5/8 in.)
Oil on canvas
A. A. Munger Collection
['Renaissance', 'classicism', '17th Century']
['landscapes', 'saints', 'religion', 'Century of Progress', "world's fairs", "Chicago World's Fairs", 'trees', 'oblisks', 'ruins', 'Greece', 'Christian subjects']
['oil on canvas', 'paint', 'painting', 'european painting']
['oil paint (paint)', 'paint', 'painting', 'canvas']
['oil painting', 'painting', 'painting techniques', 'painting (image making)']
['Essentials']
Although French by birth and training, Nicolas Poussin spent most of his career in Rome, immersed in the study of ancient art, where he painted classically inspired works for an educated elite. His art has long been considered the embodiment of the ideals of seventeenth-century classicism. In this painting, Saint John, one of the four Evangelists who wrote the Gospels of the New Testament, reclines beside his attribute, the eagle. He is here depicted as a powerful old man, presumably after retiring to the Greek island of Patmos to write his gospel and the book of Revelation at the end of his life. To suggest the vanished glory of the ancient world, Poussin carefully constructed an idealized setting for the saint, complete with an obelisk, a temple, and column fragments. Man-made and natural forms were adjusted according to principles of geometry and logic to convey the measured order of the scene. Even the profile view of Saint John is in harmony with the classical landscape. This painting may have been part of a projected series on the four Evangelists—in addition to this work, Poussin completed a companion, Landscape with Saint Matthew (1640; Gemäldegalerie, Berlin).
| attributed to Art Institute of Chicago under CC-By license
In the heart of Rome, where the echoes of ancient art lingered in the air, Nicolas Poussin, a French painter by origin, found his true calling. Here, amidst the remnants of a glorious past, he dedicated his life to recreating the beauty of classicism, crafting paintings that spoke to an educated elite who cherished the whispers of history.
One of his most compelling works captures a moment steeped in contemplative stillness—Saint John, the revered Evangelist, reclines comfortably beside his loyal companion, the eagle. The old man's features tell stories of wisdom and grace, conjuring an image of a life well-lived, as he settles into the tranquil embrace of the Greek island of Patmos. Here, he penned his Gospel and the profound book of Revelation, each word imbued with the gravity of his experiences.
As we gaze upon the canvas, we are transported to a serene yet powerful setting, carefully constructed by Poussin’s skilled hands. Ancient remnants, such as an imposing obelisk and elegant column fragments, rise from the landscape like echoes of a bygone era, whispering tales of the splendor that once was. This idealized arena, fashioned with a geometric precision that speaks of order and logic, allows us to sense the harmony Poussin sought to embody. It is as if he invites us to breathe in the essence of a world that balanced nature and mankind in exquisite unity.
Saint John's solemn profile, rendered with grace, marries seamlessly to the landscape surrounding him—a reminder that, perhaps, our own stories are woven into the tapestry of history. This painting may have been one piece of a grander narrative, a projected series highlighting the four Evangelists, whispers of Poussin’s other work, such as the contemporaneous "Landscape with Saint Matthew."
Each creation stands as a testament not just to the artist's vision but to the timeless nature of storytelling itself—bridging past and present, inviting us to reflect long after we leave the quiet embrace of the canvas.
About the artist
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