The 17th Century
The Museo del Prado possesses an important collection of paintings by Nicolas Poussin. Mythological and religious scenes and landscapes such as Parnassus, The Triumph of David, Landscape with Buildings and Landscape with Saint Jerome can be numbered among Poussin’s finest works.
There are also numerous landscapes by Claude Lorraine, from early ones such as Ford over a River to the paintings that the artist executed for the Buen Retiro Palace, which are exceptionally fine, as are The Temptations of Saint Anthony, Landscape with Moses rescued from the Nile, Landscape with the Burial of Saint Serapia, and The Embarkation of Saint Paula from Ostia.
The collection includes two paintings by Georges de la Tour, an artist who was rediscovered in the 20th century and is now considered one of the most important French painters of his day. They are The Blind Hurdy-Gurdy Player, purchased in 2002, and Saint Jerome reading a Letter, which was unpublished until 2005. Following its rediscovery it was placed on deposit at the Prado by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
