{"product_id":"the-plague-at-ashdod-nicolas-poussin","title":"The Plague at Ashdod - Nicolas Poussin","description":"\u003cp\u003eA dramatic history painting by Nicolas Poussin, depicting the biblical account of the plague inflicted upon the Philistines in Ashdod.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNicolas Poussin painted The Plague at Ashdod in 1630, drawing his subject from the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament. The narrative depicts the divine retribution visited upon the Philistines after they captured the Ark of the Covenant. Poussin organises the composition with a rigorous, architectural clarity that defines his mature style, despite the chaotic nature of the scene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe painting shows a city square filled with figures in various states of distress and mourning. In the foreground, a man recoils in horror from the sight of a dead woman and her child, while others attend to the afflicted. The architecture provides a rigid, classical frame for the human drama, with buildings receding into the distance to create a sense of depth. Poussin uses light and shadow to direct the viewer across the canvas, ensuring that the emotional weight of the figures remains the primary focus.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis work demonstrates Poussin's interest in the theories of the affections, where specific gestures and expressions are used to communicate internal states. The figures are rendered with a sculptural quality, reflecting the artist's study of classical antiquity and the works of Raphael. The palette is dominated by earth tones, ochres, and muted blues, which maintain a sombre atmosphere appropriate to the subject. The painting is currently held in the collection of the Musée du Louvre in Paris. It remains a significant example of seventeenth-century French classicism, showing the artist's ability to balance complex narrative requirements with a disciplined, rational approach to pictorial space.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/sv\/products\/portrait-of-charles-i-of-england-anthony-van-dyck\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePortrait of Charles I of England - Anthony van Dyck — Anthony van Dyck\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/sv\/products\/pastoral-landscape-with-the-ponte-molle-claude-lorrain\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003ePastoral Landscape with the Ponte Molle - Claude Lorrain — Claude Lorrain\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Nicolas Poussin","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58832671441231,"sku":null,"price":37.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58832691396943,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58832691429711,"sku":null,"price":55.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/The-Plague-at-Ashdod_Poster_CompositorV1_1789928742410.jpg?v=1789929888","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/sv\/products\/the-plague-at-ashdod-nicolas-poussin","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}