Optocht van bacchanten
1600 - 1699
Medium
pen
Dimensions
112; 408
About this artwork
pen en penseel in bruin
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Poussin's *Optocht van bacchanten* (Procession of Bacchantes a delicate 17th-century drawing, captures the ecstatic revelry of Bacchus's female followers in a lively procession. Created between 1600 and 1699 during Poussin's mature period in Rome, this work exemplifies the French artist's mastery of classical mythology. Poussin, a pioneer of French Classicism, often drew inspiration from ancient Greek and Roman sources, blending orderly composition with dynamic energy to evoke the Dionysian spirit of abandon. Executed in pen and brush with brown ink on a panoramic sheet (112 × 408 mm)...
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...