Poussin’s Self-Portrait

The French graphic artist Pesne was an admirer of Poussin and reproduced many of his works. He also did reproductions of two Poussin self-portraits from 1649 (Staatliche Museen, Berlin) and 1650 (Louvre Museum, Paris). In the older self-portrait presented in this engraving, Poussin portrayed himself in the spirit of mementum mori in front a tombstone on which his status and age (55 years) are engraved. The self-portrait suggests the introspective nature of the well-educated painter who paid great attention to art theory.