Poussin’s Adoration of the Golden Calf: A longer look

Fascinating morning at the National Gallery on a seminar in their “A Longer Look” series looking at Poussin’s “Adoration of the Golden Calf” led by Jacqui Ansell.

I must admit it’s not a picture I’d ever looked at and I often found Poussin a bit dull but I like this series and they always make you look at pictures in a different way. We began by looking at Poussin in this period and why his reputation had ebbed and flowed over the years. We discussed the story of the Golden Calf and how it was told in this picture. I’m not sure I would have spotted the Moses coming down from the mountain in the corner if it had not been pointed out.

In the second half we went and sat in front of the picture and decoded it further, moving on to look at other Poussin’s in the same room.

I came away wanting to know more about the artist. I loved the complexity of the symbolism, like a big puzzle!

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