Nicolas Poussin

Nicolas Poussin was the leading painter of the classical French Baroque style, though he spent almost his entire working life in Rome. Prioritizing line, geometry, and philosophical contemplation over sensual color, Poussin became the intellectual beacon of French classicism.

His masterworks—such as Et in Arcadia Ego (c. 1637–1638) and the Seven Sacraments—embody stoic ideals, balanced classical antiquity, and narrative clarity. He served briefly as First Painter to King Louis XIII, and his rational aesthetic principles formed the bedrock of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture for centuries, inspiring artists from David to Cézanne.