POUSSIN, NICOLAS, a painter of great celebrity, born near Le Grand-Andely, in Nor mandy, in 1593 or 1594, was first a pupil of Quintin Varin, then painting pictures for the church of Grand-Andely; but at the age of 18 went to Paris, studied under Ferdinand Elle, the Fleming, Lallemand, and others; but chiefly improved himself by drawing from casts, and drawings and prints after Raphael and Julio Romano, in the collection of M. Courtois, who accorded him access to them. After a long and hard struggle, he attained the object of his desire—namely, the means of visiting Rome, He was 30 years of age when he arrived there, and a considerable period elapsed after that before he obtained much employment. At length, however, he received' several important commissions from the cardinal Barberiui, which he executed so successfully that he afterward rapidly acquired fame and fortune. After an absence of 16 years, he returned to Paris with M. de Chantelou, and was introduced by cardinal Richelieu to Louis XIII., who appointed him his painter in ordinary, with apartments in the Tuileries, and a salary of £120 a year.
Poussin returned to Rome for the purpose of giving up his establishment there, and taking his wife to Paris; but while he was occupied with these arrangements, Louis XIII. having died, lie gave up all thoughts of returning to his native country, remained in Rome, and after a very successful career, died in 1665. His reputation mainly rests on his success in aiming at the classic style. Sir Joshua Reynolds says, " No works of ally modern have so much the air of antique painting as those of Poussin." Many prefer his landscapes, or those pictures of his in which landscape predominates, to his compositions in which his attention has been bestowed chiefly on the figures. Upward of 200 prints have been engraved from his works. The national gallery has several of Poussin's pic tures, two of which are particularly praised, "A Bacchanalian Dance," and "A Baccha nalian Festival."