Poussin and Optics: Reflections on the Lake in “a Calm”
Abstract
Poussin’s biographers emphasised the importance of his study of optics and, particularly, of his study of Zaccolini’s treatises. Through a close examination of the reflections on the surface of the lake in Landscape with a Calm, we will show how Poussin’s mastery of catoptrics (the science of mirrors) guides the viewers’ experience and provides a key to the function of the lake as the central focus of the picture.
Submitted: July 3, 2020 | Accepted: Sept. 24, 2020 | Published Dec. 11, 2020 | Language: en
Keywords Poussin • Seicento painting • Light and shadow • Optics • Zaccolini • Landscape
Copyright © 2020 Janis Bell. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/VA/2385-2720/2020/01/003