Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun
1658
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
46 7/8 x 72 in. (119.1 x 182.9 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Fletcher Fund, 1924
Accession Number
24.45.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the grand tradition of French Classicism, Nicolas Pous's *Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun* (8) captures a poignant moment from Greek mythology. The painting depicts the mighty hunter Orion, blinded by king of Chios and guided by the boy Cedalion toward the dawn's first light, hoping to restore his sight. Diana, the goddess of the hunt, appears in the distance, adding a layer of divine intrigue to the scene. This oil on canvas masterpiece, measuring nearly 47 by 72 inches, exemplifiesoussin's late-career mastery, created when he was in his sixties and firmly established in Rome. Po...
About the Artist
Nicolas Poussin · 1594–1665
Nicolas Poussin, born in June 1594 near Les Andelys in Normandy, emerged from a family of local distinction whose modest means and parental opposition could not deter his artistic calling. He received his initial training under the itinerant painter Quentin Varin in Rouen around 1611–12, absorbing lessons in storytelling, precise facial expressions, and rich colors, though without a formal long-te...