Camillus and the Schoolmaster of Falerii

Camillus and the Schoolmaster of Falerii from 1637 at the Norton Simon Museum depicts the Roman general who returned captive schoolchildren to their enemy rather than exploit their vulnerability. The subject exemplified the Roman virtue of magnanimity that Poussin celebrated. Working in Rome from 1624 onwards, Poussin served a cultivated international clientele of French and Italian patrons who prized his learned, disciplined approach to classical antiquity and religious narrative. His corres...

The multi-figure composition dramatizes the moral lesson through clear gesture and expression. Poussin's classical handling and measured palette create a scene of exemplary virtue.