Portretbuste van kunstenaar Nicolas Poussin 1818 - 1848

Jacopo Bernardi made this graphite drawing of a sculptural portrait of Nicolas Poussin sometime in the 19th century. Poussin was one of the most important French painters of the 17th century, known for his classical style and his influence on later artists. Bernardi's image speaks to the status of Poussin as a figure of artistic and national heritage. It was made during a period of intense national self-reflection in France, a time when artists looked to the past for inspiration. Museums and art academies played a key role in promoting particular versions of art history, shaping contemporary artistic practice as they did so. By drawing a sculpture of Poussin, Bernardi engages in a conversation about the role of the artist in society. Is it to innovate, or to conserve? To understand Bernardi's drawing more fully, one might research the records of French art institutions of the time to better appreciate how historical narratives were being constructed and how the French understood their cultural identity. Ultimately, an image like this is a product of its social and institutional context.