Women Poussin’s painting The Abduction of the Sabine Women illustrates a scene from the history of ancient Rome (Fig. 9.5). There were not enough women in the city, so to ensure the future of Rome, the early Roman men invited the neighbouring
Sabine people to a feast. They then drove off the men and seized their women and children.
Stories like The Abduction of the Sabine Women were popular in the 17th century. It allowed male and female bodies to be depicted in complicated poses together, as Bernini had done in sculpture, but it also allowed for a variety of expressions and, especially in painting, this created an impression of crowds and panic.
Figure 9.5 The Abduction of the Sabine Women, 1633–4, by Nicolas Poussin, oil on canvas, 155 × 210 cm, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Romulus, founder of Rome, can be seen on the left, directing the action. He stands in a pose inspired by ancient Roman statues. The central section of the composition emphasises panic and confrontation. It is set against an architectural background that provides an opportunity for linear perspective, and that gives the work its depth.
