Nicolas Poussin and the antiquities of Egypt
How early modern Europe was enamoured by Ancient Egypt
The mysterious pyramids of Egypt have cast their shadow over many chapters of biblical history. It may be that Joseph, Moses and the Virgin Mary all saw them and stood in silence beneath these immense memorials of time long past.
Several artists have painted these subjects, but in most cases Egypt was depicted as land whose landscape and buildings were indistinct from Europe. It was only from the nineteenth century when European scholars had direct access to Egypt due to military intervention, that artists began integrating ancient Egyptian motifs into their art.
One important exception to this rule was Nicolas Poussin. Born in France in 1594, but largely based in Rome from 1624, where he was exposed to the cultural fervents of his adopted city. Roman intellectuals were fascinated by ancient history. The city and its environs were full of surviving items, many bought from Egypt to Rome centuries before.
Poussin was associated with Athanasius Kircher, a well connected scholar with a deep interest and knowledge of ancient Egypt. Kircher attempted to translate the Hieroglyphs, mistakenly thinking that the signs corresponded to symbolic meanings. He tested his theories on the surviving obelisks, statues and small objects that ancient Romans had revered. Poussin’s interest in Egypt developed in later life. He studied closely objects held in Roman collections and consulted books and scholars such as Kircher.
Poussin painted several topics from ancient history. He was particularly drawn to three themes: bacchnals, the Finding of Moses and the Flight of the Holy Family to Egypt.
Poussin painted the Finding of moses at least three times.
His painting of 1638, now in the Louvre, could almost be in Tuscany except for the pyramid on the right and the Nile god on the bottom left. In the background on the other side of the river two ‘philosophers’ look on. The pyramid is obviously inspired by the tomb of Ctesiphus in Rome. The River god is relatively generic in this painting. His cornucopia contains standard Graeco-Roman fare, topped by a pine cone. The characters wear classical dress. The centre figure is the nurse maid who has a little knot in the middle of the hair, resembling Roman hairstyles.
Poussin’s painting of 1651 (now in the National Gallery) , in terms of these details is very different. The classical buildings are more prominent. The background contains several obelisks and pyramids (including three in close proximity like at Giza?). The river god this time embraces a very Egyptian sphinx. And on the left hand side, a man beats a tambourine before a statue of Anubis.
One writer, almost contemporaneous of Poussin wrote of this painting:
“He is Moses, the Mosche of the Hebrews, the Pan of the Arcadians, the Priapus of the Hellespont, the Anubis of the Egyptians.”
Poussin painted many images of the Holy Family on their flight to Egypt. His early paintings on this subject are beautiful and interesting in their own rights, but in terms of Egyptian themes it is his later ones which are work discussing. Here he let his intellectual interests roam freely, exalted in obscure details.
His final painting of the holy family was produced in 1655–57. It shows them resting Egypt and being offered dates. It is the background however that is most fascinating. Several scenes are taken from the Palestrina Mosaic. The mosaic was discovered under the Palace of the Berbini in 1600 and taken to their palace in Rome. Pozzo (of the paper museum) had it copied in watercolor. Poussin studied it closely. In a letter to his patron, he drew attention to the archaeological details as signs of his attention to detail. He appears to be well read about Egypt.
In a letter to his supporter Paul Fréart de Chantelou, Poussin wrote :
A procession of priests, with their head shaved and crowned with leaves, dressed according to their fashion, carrying tambourines, flutes, and a hawk on a stick. Those under the porch carry the box called Soro Apin which contains the bones and relics of their god Serapin, toward whose temple they are advancing… I put all these things into the painting in order to delight by their novelty and variety, and to show that the Virgin who is there shown is in Egypt.
One of the most fascinating details is the statue of Anubis in front of the casket.
He also borrowed the motif of a bird swallowing a snake from the mosaic in Landscape with Two Nymphs from 1659.
Poussin’s close engagement with Egypt, shows his scholarly and thoughtful approach to his art but it also demonstrates his deep love and dedication for antiquity. Following his death, he became an important influence for many French artists, yet his close study of Egyptian antiquity was not emulated to the same degree.
For more information on ancient Egypt in early Modern Europe, read Egyptian Baroque published in Rhakotis Magazine 18 February, 2021.
