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 - ACE018.3

Details of Confirmation, which has many more allusions to early Christian liturgy, including the practice, taken over from Judaism, of asperging converts with hyssop. Blunt says that one detail of early dress is incorrect in colour, but that Poussin would generally have had to use sarcophagus reliefs as his source (illustrated by one from St. John Lateran, Rome). Another early Christian sarcophagus which may have been the inspiration for some elements of Ordination. An early sketch for the painting. Details of the architectural features in the painting, including one resembling the Tomb of Absalom outside Jerusalem, and a Pylon with a capital E or Epsilon. Blunt believes these symbolise Judaism and the Greek Mysteries. Baptism lacks such pre-Christian symbolism. Early studies for the painting showing the development of Poussin’s ideas. Details of the landscape elements in the painting. The Marriage of the Virgin Mary to Joseph, which emphasises the flowering of the Rod of Joseph, symbolic of the birth of Christ. Details from several of the paintings. Blunt sees them as Poussin’s "presentation of the idea of the sacraments" he had conceived. They contain common elements, solemnity, clarity of presentation, and classicism. They illustrate the fact that Poussin and his friends found no conflict between a belief in Christianity, admiration for classical antiquity, and a rationalist approach towards life and philosophy. Credits.