Circle of Nicolas Poussin
Les Andelys, Normandy, 1594-Rome, 1665
Arcadian Landscape, ca. 1627
Oil on canvas.
Some scholars first attributed this painting to the French master Nicolas Poussin. Others argued that it was the work of a follower because its forms are insufficiently constructed. Moreover, its blond palette is incompatible with its likely date, while its handling is too even and its finish too slick for Poussin�s hand at any time. But an identical composition, rendered with the sense of structure, deep palette, and bold touch of Poussin�s early activity in Rome, has come to light in England, proving this picture to be a replica by a member of Poussin�s immediate circle.