Nicolas Poussin was born in Normandy, France in 1594 and drew from the art of the Renaissance as well as the art of antiquity. Poussin was exposed early to the art of Raphael and Titian and was introduced to them from engravings being circulated throughout Europe.

In 1624 Poussin traveled to Rome and began studying antique Roman sarcophagi. He was influenced by the writings of Plato and Aristotle, especially in their interpretations of writers and artists modes of expression. According to the two ancient philosophers, every human emotion expressible could be divided and placed into separate categories. Poussin became intrigued by this concept and began carefully planning and creating his paintings around this idea. There were essentially five categories, but Poussin seemed most interested in portraying themes with a strong stoic message, that of the triumph of mans will over his emotions.

Poussin's figures have a static, almost sculptural appearance to them. He restricts any sign of emotion to a mere facial expression or gesture.

Toward the end of Poussin's life he abandons drawing from the works of Ovid, and concentrates on the stoic message found in the works of Roman historians, e.g., Livy.

Perhaps the most important contribution Nicolas Poussin made to art history was his influence on the later Neo- Classicists. Poussin's belief in heroic, noble, austere, and virtuous themes, figures displaying restrained emotion and action, as well as clean and simple pictorial arrangements were to be emulated in the works of the great Neo- Classical artist David and the later works of Ingres.