La vita di Nicolas Poussin // Vita di Nicolò Pussino

The life of the painter Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665), who was born in France but worked in Rome, is described by Bellori in his Vita as a productive tension between various poles. The life description of the French painter serves multiple functions: it connects to the life description of Annibale Carracci (1560-1609), with which Bellori opens his series of "Vite." The artistic ideals developed in this introduction are thus also recognized as significant for other countries, such as Poussin's homeland, France. It seems fitting that the 1672 edition of the "Vite" concludes with Poussin's biography, responding to that of Annibale. However, Poussin's life description was likely intended to transition to the subsequent Vita of Carlo Maratta (1625-1713), who was still alive at the time of the publication of the entire Viten project – his biography would have completed the endeavor. In his essay, Henry Keazor discusses the points of intersection between the three biographies and, against this background, highlights the themes addressed in Poussin's Vita. Additionally, he touches on aspects of Poussin's life that Bellori deliberately overlooks, as he aims to present the painter as a role model for subsequent generations of artists, particularly regarding proper conduct in life.