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Pieta
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Nicolas Poussin painted multiple versions of the Pietà throughout his career. His Lamentation over the Body of Christ from around 1655-1657 depicts the moment after Christ's body has been embalmed, about to be interred. The somber composition is veiled in darkness.
Joseph of Arimathea kneels at the tomb entrance while St. John raises Christ's head. Mary Magdalene kisses Christ's hand as the grief-stricken Virgin wipes tears with her blue cloak. Poussin used model figures arranged in a perspective box to plan his lighting. A version resides at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
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About Pieta
One version hangs at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. Another version from 1628 is at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Both demonstrate Poussin's mastery of religious narrative.
The painting shows the lamentation over Christ's body just before burial. Mary Magdalene kisses his hand, St. John cradles his head, and the Virgin Mary weeps in the background.
Poussin created small figure models and arranged them in a perspective box to plan lighting and composition. This methodical approach gave his works their characteristic clarity and drama.
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