Saint Frances Announcing the End of the Plague in Rome

Saint Frances Announcing the End of the Plague from 1657 at the Louvre is a late devotional work. The subject of divine intervention against plague had particular resonance in 17th-century Rome, where epidemics remained a constant threat. Poussin developed his religious subjects through intense study of ancient Roman reliefs and Italian Renaissance masters, composing figures as if arranging actors on a stage. His cool, clear palette and sculptural figure treatment were adopted as the foundati...

The composition arranges the visionary scene with late classical clarity. Poussin's measured palette creates an atmosphere of sacred gravity and divine compassion.