DANCE WITH THE SABINE Painting

HOMAGE TO NICOLAS POUSSIN by Herve Constant Like his colleague Claude Lorrain, Poussin depicted historical and mythological subjects in landscapes inspired by the countryside around Rome. His themes were often complex, and frequently incorporated allusions to classical texts. Here, a playful cupid tugs Pan, the goat legged Greek god of the woods, toward Venus, the goddess of love. The paintings illustrates the Latin phrase Amor Vincit Omnia, or “love conquers all”. His sensuous early canvases such as 'The Nurture of Bacchus', reflect 16th-century Venetian art, especially that of Titian. He studied antique remains and his art reflects both this and an appreciation of Raphael. Poussin read ancient writers such as Ovid and attempted to recreate ancient myth and history in his works.