The classicist

French painter Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) spent most of his working life in Rome turning out works that fused the best features of Renaissance painting with influences of antiquity. Poussin was highly prolific and was considered by his contemporaries to be the greatest living painter, a man whose work embodied the ideal of French classical art. Poussin himself stressed logic and clarity in his work, formulating doctrines with the aim of intellectualizing art; in the latter, he succeeded in leaving an influence in art that lasted centuries.

About the Series:
Every book in TASCHEN"s Basic Art Series features:

* a detailed chronological summary of the artist"s life and work, covering the cultural and historical importance of the artist
* approximately 100 color illustrations with explanatory captions
* a concise biography



About the author:
Henry Keazor studied art history, German language and literature, musicology, and philosophy in Heidelberg and Paris. He is the author of numerous publications on the French and Italian painting of the 17th century and currently holds a Heisenberg fellowship from the German Research Foundation.