114 THE FINE ARTS. 
Poussin had pursued a peculiar course in the cultivation of his talents: 
after he had well grounded himself in his art by the study of the greatest 
masters, he perfected his knowledge in Rome by means of an accurate and 
diligent observation of the antique, whence his strictly accurate costumes 
and the learning displayed in the accessories of his pictures, which render 
them of great value to the archeologist. His drawing is perfect, as is 
also his expression; his compositions seem to be formed upon his studies 
from the cartoons of Raphael and Domenichino and on the principles of 
Leonardo da Vinci. In coloring and in pleasing harmony he remained 
deficient, and his works were sometimes wanting in fire, as he endeavored 
to finish them too minutely and according to all the rules of art. His land- 
scapes are excellent in composition, but incorrect in the details. Poussin 
wished to paint only for the soul, to exercise only the understanding, and — 
not to gratify the senses with luxury of coloring; hence many of his 
pictures are nothing but moral rhapsodies, which under the guise of a 
poetic picture excite the beholder to reflection, and speak to his heart. 
Claude Gelée (Claude le Lorrain, 1600-1682) was a contemporary of 
Poussin, whom he survived. His birth being of low condition, he was at 
first apprenticed to a pastry-cook; but he afterwards learnt drawing of his 
brother in Freiburg, and went with a relative to Italy. Here he was left 
without protector or guide, until he obtained employment as a color- 
grinder of Tassi the landscape-painter, a pupil of Paul Bril, and gained 
some knowledge of painting, which he afterwards completed under Vals in 
Naples. He was soon enabled in consequence to take his place in the 
highest rank of landscape painters; and on his return to Rome, where he 
took up his abode, he received many commissions from the popes and 
other persons of consequence. The demand for his pictures caused other 
artists to paint in his manner and to sell their works as his; so that there 
exist an immense number of so-called pictures by Claude with which he 
had nothing whatever to do. In order to keep an account of his pictures, 
he slightly sketched each one of them in a book, which he called the “ Book 
of Truth.” It consists of about 200 leaves: it came finally into the posses- 
sion of the Duke of Devonshire, and was engraved by Richard Carlom and 
published by Boydell in 1777. The works of Claude are found in the best 
galleries; four of the finest are in Cassel, and two in Dresden. The magic 
effects of light and shade in his landscapes are unsurpassed and hardly 
rivalled, but the conformation of the ground and vegetation often lack truth 
and evince mannerism. 
One of the most distinguished painters of the French school was Pierre 
Mignard (1610-95), who made his studies after Rosso and Primaticcio, 
then joined the school of Vouet, and lastly went to Rome, where he com- 
pleted his artistic education. He lived on terms of the most intimate 
friendship with Alphonse du Fresnoy (1611-65), who was likewise in 
Vouet’s school. From Rome they both proceeded to Venice: after some 
time Fresnoy went to Paris, but Mignard returned to Rome, whence he 
went to Paris in 1658, and rendered himself equally celebrated as a portrait 
and as an historical painter. At court he was held in high esteem, but had 
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