Nicholas Poussin, T.J. Clark, and the Joys of Contemplating Art

Back in July, I received a book in the mail from painter Robert Birmelin. About to turn 90, Bob is an amazing artist, and a true intellectual.
“The Sight of Death, an Experiment in Art Writing”, by TJ Clark is a revelation. For a period of 6 months, Clark looked, thought, and wrote about two Nicholas Poussin paintings hanging together at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The intensity of Clark’s project was incredibly inspiring.
I was fascinated by how his ideas and reactions changed through his deep looking over time. And my own mind opened up to a myriad of questions about life and art, style and temperament, composition and meaning.

[@annatwelve]

Thanks for making this video learned so much from it!

[@YOLO-yx2nz]

This is a beautiful video!!!!

[@juangomezsfamousartshow]

Excellent and intriguing history of Classical & Modern juxtapositions, related to Poussin's paintings... mentioned in the book you read.

[@JohnThornton]

Thanks as always Juan!!!

[@moringaottawa]

11:08 absolutely classic, brilliant 😋 🙃

[@TomMallonpage]

I love it, John. And I especially love Christina Waters' description of Poussin's colorless togas with some guy in bright blue. Your description of Classical vs. Barque composition was spot on. Overall, it was an enjoyable 38 minutes, far longer than I would likely tolerate The Magic Mountain.

[@marksohnly2654]

I have one of his paintings want to see it

[@marksohnly2654]

I have a painting he did nobody has ever seen. Want to see it

[@icesk8rgrrl]

Small correction: Louis XV was actually Louis XIV's great-grandson. The Sun King just kept living and ruling!

[@JohnThornton]

Aha! So both the Sun King's son and grandson died before he did, or was #15 the product of a royal mother? Details PLEASE!!! Thanks!

[@SolitudeEnBleu]

BILL MOYERS
I’m willing to surrender, but how do I train my eye to look?
SISTER WENDY
You train it by doing it. It’s like prayer: how do you learn to pray? By praying. How do you learn to look? By looking.
BILL MOYERS
Well? And seeing what?
SISTER WENDY
Looking and waiting, and going away, and coming back and looking, and waiting. And if you’ve done that with sufficient earnestness, and nothing happens, no flowering within you, no sudden understanding that this is something magical and mysterious that you are now in contact with, then that picture isn't meant for you. Try again in a few years time. Go to another one.
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