The Sacrament of Extreme Unction, Nicholas Poussin (1594-1665)
Nicholas Poussin is depicting of the administering of the final sacrament which we to-day know as the Sacrament of Healing. He locates the scene in a setting remote both from us to-day and from the original seventeenth-century audience for this work. The painting comes from Poussin’s cycle of The Seven Sacraments, which he painted between 1637 and 1642 for a distinguished Roman patron, Cassiano del Pozzo. The clarity, balance and reverence for classical tradition which this painting exudes soon led to a commission for a second series on the same subject. Poussin invests the scene of mourning with dignity. At the centre of the painting the figure of the dying man stretched out on the bed creates a strong horizontal accent. He is surrounded by figures whose actions and facial expressions convey the contradictory emotions of grief at the loss and hope in the efficacy of the sacrament. Despite the references to a distant past in the classically inspired architecture and costume, the timeless power of the Christ’s presence in the sacrament is evoked through symbols. Light, oil and prayer, symbols of healing and new life in Christ then as now, reassure us of the presence of God in our world through all time.
Art Guide Resource
The 2013 Art Guide has been compiled by Claire Renkin, well-known Art Historian and Lecturer at Yarra Theological Union and narrated by Margaret Coffey. Margaret has a background in historical research, journalism, education and broadcasting including at the ABC. Artworks featured © Bridgeman Images.
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