Plague of Ashdod

The Plague of Ashdod by an Unknown Artist after Nicolas Poussin (French, 1594-1665) is a compelling example of the enduring influence of French classical painting throughout the 18th and early 19th centuries. Executed sometime between 1750 and 1849, this drawing meticulously reproduces the dramatic composition and classical poses found in Poussin’s original 17th-century masterpiece, demonstrating the continuing pedagogical value placed on the Baroque master’s work.

This drawing classification utilizes a complex layering of media to achieve its depth. The artist employed pen and black ink, supplemented by brush and black, gray, and brown wash, meticulously applied over an initial graphite sketch on cream wove paper. This intricate technique allowed the copyist to replicate the tonal contrasts and sculptural modeling characteristic of Poussin’s highly refined figures, transforming the original oil painting into a nuanced, monochromatic study.

The original source material depicts the Biblical plague visited upon the Philistines after they captured the Ark of the Covenant, a subject Poussin famously used to explore human reaction to catastrophe through controlled, heroic figures. The creation of such detailed copies in France during this period suggests an ongoing reliance on the foundational works of classicism for academic training. Today, as the original source material is widely available, studies like this one, held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, remain vital sources for understanding how artistic ideas were studied and transmitted across generations, providing insight into the artistic practices that led to the proliferation of prints based on these canonical images.