The Mind of Nicolas Poussin. A study of his paintings The Seven Sacraments in the Duke of Sutherland’s Collection at the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh - ACE018.2

The National Gallery of Scotland. Sir Anthony Blunt sitting beside painting. The paintings shown in order, Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Ordination, Marriage, Extreme Unction. Blunt’s VO gives information on genesis of the series. Painted between 1644 and 1648 at the behest of Paul Fréart de Chantou who wanted copies of an earlier series. Blunt considers these paintings to represent the quintessence of Poussin’s art. He believes that Poussin connected these elements of the Christian faith with the Greek Mysteries. Details of Extreme Unction in which Roman and Christian symbols are combined. Details of Eucharist. The painting shows the participants reclining in the Roman manner, an early Christian tradition of holding the Eucharist bread in their hands, and Christ resembling an early Classical god, and alludes to Christ’s washing of the Apostles’ feet. Details of Penance which illustrates the washing of the feet of Simon the Pharisee by a servant, and the feet of Christ by Mary Magdalene, and makes reference to elements of early Christian liturgy.