Seventeenth Century, 1600–1699

While Baroque art in Rome dazzled residents with its impressive scale, vivid color and dramatic intensity, a classical sensibility also endured throughout the Baroque era. Derived from a persistent admiration for the restraint and harmony of classical antiquity and the Renaissance, seventeenth-century classicism was embraced by artists who sought clarity over emotional drama and balance over exuberance. Rome in the seventeenth century was a magnet for artists of all nationalities, especially the French, and in Rome, artists were influenced by the abundant ancient sculpture and the Arcadian Roman countryside. The Nelson-Atkins collection includes works by Philippe de Champaigne, Claude Lorrain, Nicolas Poussin, and one attributed to Sébastien Bourdon.