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Pierre-Charles Poussin, 'Pardon Day in Brittany', 1851

About the work

Overview

Pierre-Charles Poussin’s painting of 1851 shows a crowd of pilgrims who have gathered for the Pardon day at Guingamp in Brittany. Pardons were a Breton tradition in which the faithful would gain absolution for their sins in return for joining a procession to worship at selected shrines.

Brittany, with its ancient traditions and costumes, became a popular subject with artists in the second half of the nineteenth century, and Poussin revels in the quaintness of the woodland scene. He creates a panorama filled with small details – from a scuffle and a pedlar hawking ribbons to a woman peeling turnips and mothers nursing babies. The decorous nature of the scene perhaps suggests that it is taking place before the festivities are fully underway. Poussin’s interest is not in the religious aspect of it all but in the colourful and picturesque nature of the gathering.

Key facts

Details

Full title
Pardon Day in Brittany
Artist dates
1819 - 1904
Date made
1851
Medium and support
oil on canvas
Dimensions
146 × 327 cm
Inscription summary
Signed; Dated
Acquisition credit
Presented by R.E. Lofft, 1870
Inventory number
NG810
Location
Not on display
Collection
Main Collection
Previous owners

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

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