Plague of Ashdod (Poussin)

Nicolas Poussin was a French artist who was born in 1594 in Les Andelys, Normandy. Poussin's life ended in Rome in 1665. During the time that Poussin began working on this commission of the Plague of Ashdod, there was a terrible bubonic plague outbreak in Italy from 1629 to 1631. Poussin was then living in Rome, which the plague actually did not infect at this time; however, Poussin was still influenced by this epidemic when creating the Plague at Ashdod. Many who have studied this painting by Poussin have been fascinated with his advanced knowledge of the nature of the epidemic.[2] Poussin wrote his Observations on Painting after 1627. His writings and observations included his understanding of the epidemic. It had valuable information that gave insight to the plague; however, the text was never completed.[2] In these writings, Poussin discusses Aristotle’s concept of loyalty.[2] To describe people who lack loyalty, Aristotle used the example of family members who murder each other due to contagion. Poussin describes how Aristotle wrote about family members murdering each other because of the fear of disease. Poussin symbolized this lack of loyalty by portraying a man ripping a child away from the corpse of the baby's mother. This might possibly lead to this man's own demise just like that of a child so attached to his or her own mother would become infected with the plague and die as well. This lack of loyalty is shown all throughout this painting.[2]

Paintings depicting the plague are rare because, during the seventeenth century, a common belief was that viewing something such as a plague in art would have detrimental physical repercussions. It was believed that one would manifest what they were viewing and would literally come down with an epidemic such as the plague itself.[4] So strong were these widely accepted beliefs, that this caused images of disease to be very unpopular. Poussin's depictions of the people gesturing to cover their noses show his belief at the time that the breath of plague victims could have been contagious, or possibly the fact that the stench coming from the dying and diseased people was so bad that others had to cover their noses in order to avoid the stench.[2]

Plague figures that seem to be portrayed accurately are the hungry baby being pulled away from his dead mother's breasts, so that the baby would not become infected with the plague from the blood and milk of the mother. These images are particularly disturbing because people at this time would have been comforted by seeing the Madonna feeding her suckling baby, a symbol of life and safety for Catholics and Christians. To see this baby torn away from the infected mother seems almost inhumane.[2] Pestilence could then be seen as unprotected by the Madonna and as life threatening.[2] The man saving the child is risking his own life by doing so, which shows the courageousness of this figure. Poussin may have put this figure there to amplify the deep anger the viewer was meant to feel when viewing parts of the Plague of Ashdod.[2] One problematic figure in this painting is at the bottom of the statue of Dagon; there is a large relief that has yet to be interpreted.[2] There is also a woman carrying a toddler to the right of the Ark being watched by another man that has been unidentified as well as. The identification of the group of men that accompany the staring man is also unknown. According to Boeckl, these figures do not directly relate to the Biblical passage about the Plague of Ashdod, so these figures must be portrayals of Poussin's own interpretation of the epidemic.[2]

Nicolas poussin (bottega o copia da), i filistei attaccati dalla peste ad azot, 01

In 1630, during the same time that Poussin was commissioned to paint this piece, by Fabrizio Valguarnera, Fabrizio was having an exact replica made before the first was even completed. This commission was given to Angelo Caroselli. Valguarnera's reasons for ordering this commission have been questioned. Ann Sutherland Harris writes that the London version of The Plague of Ashdod was used by Fabrizio Valguarnera to launder stolen jewel money through.[5][1] According to Sheila Baker, Fabriozo Valguarnera was indeed seeking to launder his money through paintings when he visited Poussin's workshop in 1631.[2] This was when he first purchased two paintings by Poussin, one of which was The Plague of Ashdod.

The engraved version was done by Etienne Picart in 1677. It hangs in the print room gallery at the National Galleries in Scotland.

The plague of the Philistines at Ashdod. Engraving by G. Tol Wellcome V0010571