The Companions of Rinaldo
ca. 1633
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
46 1/2 x 40 1/4 in. (118.1 x 102.2 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Department
European Paintings
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wrightsman, 1977
Accession Number
1977.1.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Poussin's *The Companions of R*, painted around 1633, captures a dramatic moment from Torquato Tasso's epic poem *Jerusalem Delivered*. Rinaldo, a Christian knight enchanted by the sorceress Armida, is sought by his loyal companions—icted here as fierce warriors armed with shields and swords, confronting mythical dragons. This oil-on-canvas work, measuring 46½ × 40¼ inches, exemplifies Poussin mastery of classical French Baroque, blending mythological narrative with disciplined composition and moral allegory. Poussin, who spent much of his career in Rome, drew from antiquity and Renai...
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...