Landscape with a Calm

Today, we have something chosen especially for Monday—a painting full of calm.

In the late 1640s and early 1650s, at the zenith of his artistic maturity, Nicolas Poussin shifted his focus from historical narrative painting to landscape painting. Landscape with a Calm does not depict a specific story but instead evokes a mood of serene tranquility. The painting's ordered composition and clear, golden light contribute significantly to this sense of calm, while the glowing, gem-like colors and fluid brushstrokes bring the scene of benevolent nature to life. Poussin's sketching excursions in the Roman countryside with Claude Lorrain, his friend and fellow landscape painter, partly explain the fresh observation of the cloud-scattered sky and grazing goats evident in this work. 

Poussin created a pendant to this painting, Landscape with a Storm, which is currently housed in a museum in Rouen. Together, these works' contrasting weather effects symbolize nature's changing and unpredictable relationship with humanity. The juxtaposition of the tranquil and stormy landscapes embodies the duality of nature, capturing both its serene and tumultuous aspects.

P.S. If you're a fan of classic works of art, be sure to check out our selection in Great Masterpieces 50 Postcards Set.  :) 

P.P.S. If you don't feel like working today, here's a good way to have a short break with art. Take our art history quizzes: Guess the Greek Myth and Guess the Art Movement!