Blind Orion Searching for the Rising Sun

Blind Orion seeks sunlight to restore his sight. Poussin places the myth within clouds, water and land. The museum connects this setting with contemporary interpretations associating Orion with the interaction of air, water and the sun.

The enormous Orion strides with an outstretched arm. His scale immediately distinguishes the mythological hero from the people below.

A small companion sits on his shoulder. This position allows him to guide the blind giant towards his destination.

A tiny figure stands beneath the outstretched arm. The difference in scale reveals Orion’s extraordinary presence within the landscape.

Dense grey cloud hangs above the giant. Clouds participate in the interpretation of the myth through interacting natural elements.

A large branching tree occupies the shadowed foreground. Its natural scale can be compared with the giant’s body.

People raise their arms below. Their gestures connect the ground-level space with the enormous hero’s movement.

Poussin lived chiefly in Rome and painted for educated patrons familiar with ancient texts. Such pictures invited consideration of a story alongside philosophical interpretations and the organisation of nature.