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Modello for a Ceiling: Diana and the Dead Endymion, the Judgment of Paris, and the Death of Adonis

Nicolas Poussin

1641

chalk

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Mythology

Dominant colour

Modello for a Ceiling: Diana and the Dead Endymion, the Judgment of Paris, and the Death of Adonis is a 1641 chalk by Nicolas Poussin, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Nicolas Poussin
When & what style?: 1641 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This drawing shows three busy scenes packed into rectangles. The top scene has a woman surrounded by men in a forest, the middle one shows a group of people in a circle, and the bottom one has a tangle of figures in a dark space. All the lines are made with brown ink and wash, giving it a faded, sketchy look. The edges are framed by decorative borders with swirls and leaves. The artist used quick, loose strokes to fill each scene with action, almost like a rough draft for a bigger painting. The figures are crowded, with lots of movement and drama in tight spaces. If you like this, check out Baroque to see more art full of energy and movement.