Nicolas Poussin et in arcadia ego. Mysteries of Poussin's painting of the Arcadian shepherds

December 26th, 2016

At Shugborough in Staffordshire, on the grounds of an old manor house that once belonged to the Earl of Lichfield, stands memorial monument mid-18th century. The bas-relief depicts a copy of the 2nd version of Poussin’s painting “The Arcadian Shepherds” in mirror image and with the classic "ET IN ARCADIA EGO" inscription in the correct reflection. Below the bas-relief are carved the letters O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V - framed by two more letters D and M. DM may mean Diis Manibus, but the central abbreviation remains unclear. The set of letters is a kind of code, the deciphering of which has been going on for more than 250 years.

Some enthusiasts, including greatest minds world (Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin) suggested that the code could be the key to information left by the Templars about the location of the Holy Grail.

What could be encrypted there?

The customer of this painting was Cardinal Richelieu. After the artist’s death, King Louis the Fourteenth acquired the painting, but kept it in his inner chambers for 20 years and showed it only to a select few.

Maybe the picture brought gloomy moods to him? Or did he believe that this was an encrypted message to the descendants of the royal dynasty? What secret does Nicolas Poussin’s painting “The Arcadian Shepherds” keep?

Poussin has another painting on this topic.

Both paintings by Poussin depict young people examining an ancient tombstone. An epitaph is carved on it in Latin script.

"AND IN ARCADIA I AM""Et in Arcadia Ego"

Interpretation of the inscription on the tombstone:

“And I (i.e. death) even here in Arcadia”

“And I (i.e. the deceased) remain in Arcadia”

Surprised shepherds try to read the half-erased inscription and understand who this “I” is? Where is Arcadia? This Latin expression not found in any ancient author. Its appearance was recorded in Italy in XVII century There is reason to believe that the author of this saying was Giulio Rospigliosi (Pope Clement IX). Soon this phase became popular in Italy.

To be precise, it first appeared in the picture Italian artist, which is called “Et in Arcadia Ego” by Guercino. 1621 - 1623.

In this painting we see two Arcadian shepherds unexpectedly encounter a skull. It lies on a small pedestal on which our Latin phrase. Undoubtedly, here it should be understood as an indication that there is death in Arcadia.

If Guercino’s painting is the first pictorial embodiment of the idea formulated in this Latin expression, then the Louvre painting by Nicolas Poussin “The Arcadian Shepherds” or otherwise also called by this very phrase is its most famous pictorial illustration.

ARCADIA

Surprised shepherds try to read the half-erased inscription and understand who this “I” is? Where is Arcadia? There really is such a place on the map - this is a mountainous place in southern Greece. In ancient times, the inhabitants of Arcadia were mainly shepherds or hunters. Roman and Greek poets perceived Arcadia not just as a locality, but as a symbol of the harmony of man and nature.

Virgil called it a land of bliss and described the life of the shepherds as the embodiment of happy carefreeness. Pastoral motifs were in big fashion and among European aristocrats - Poussin's contemporaries. They even called themselves shepherds, and their palaces, where they acted out scenes from village life, huts.

At the same time, the image of Arcadia was cultivated - as an ancient paradise, the image that came to us in a poeticized form from Virgil, and only - insists the greatest art historian E. Panofsky - from him. Ovid described Arcadia and its inhabitants in a completely different way:

They lived like animals, and did not yet know how to work:
These people were rude and unskilled.
(Ovid. “Fasts”, II, 2291 - 292. Translated by F. Petrovsky)

British codebreakers Oliver and Sheila Lawn, who worked on solving Nazi codes during World War II, have begun work to unravel the mystery of the “Shepherd Monument” in Staffordshire. This monument, which was built on Lord Lichfield's estate "Shagborough" in 1748, has a bas-relief that is a copy famous painting Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) “The Shepherds of Arcadia” in a mirror image.

N. Poussin “The Shepherds of Arcadia” (1637-39)

Under the bas-relief, letters are carved on the stone, which for many centuries have haunted scientists, among whom was Charles Darwin - D.O.U.O. S.V.A.V.V.M. The inability to decipher the encrypted message, as well as some other signs, suggested that the letters indicate the location of the Holy Grail.

General view of the mysterious inscription of 1748

The main mistake, according to 85-year-old Oliver Lawn and his 81-year-old wife, is that until now researchers have focused on solving the inscription, while the information is encrypted throughout the composition, including the bas-relief. The fact is that, in addition to the fact that the bas-relief mirrors the painting, it has several strange differences from Poussin’s work. Therefore, the researchers intend to solve the problem not only using modern and traditional cryptography technologies, but also by studying the archives of Lord Lichfield and looking for information about Poussin. In particular, according to Sheila Lawn, the object of study is related to the monument of the Knights Templar, which was found in the 12th century, and which, in turn, is associated with a parchment from the Reims Cathedral with encoded text. In this text, scientists were able to make out the words “Poussin... keeps the key.”

Until now, cryptographers, the Lowns believe, have been misled by the first and last letters of the inscription D.O.U.O. S.V.A.V.V.M. Scientists believed that they were an abbreviation of Diis manibus - an inscription that ancient Rome wrote on the graves. Currently, several British scientists are working on the solution to the monument, using both the latest computer cryptographic programs and ancient techniques.

Guercino. "Et in Arcadia Ego". 1621 - 1623.

These are general information about the mystery of the shepherd’s monument in Staffordshire (England), created in 1748, in which Nicolò Poussin’s painting “The Arcadian Patterns” is illustrated in a mirror image. Moreover, it is generally accepted that the tone of this painting or, in other words, the reason for its creation was the painting by Guercino ( Giovanni Francesco Barbieri, 1591-1666) “Et in Arcadia ego”, written by him in 1618-1622. Most full translation This inscription is considered to be the phrase “And (even) in Arcadia I (am).” In this reading, “I” should be understood as Death. So, in fact, the idea of the painting itself is to remind happy people that everyone will someday be overtaken by death. In a mythological sense, Arcadia is usually viewed as an ideal country of carefree shepherds. Poussin abandoned the direct illustration of death, removed the skull, and replaced it with the shepherds reading the tombstone as evidence of the life and death of those hidden under this tombstone. I’ll immediately note what is not visible in this inscription on the stone: short expression"Et in Arcadia ego". So in this respect, he moved away from its specific content and thereby generalized its meaning. There is no mysterious inscription there either. She appeared for the first time on this monument.

Thus, the history of the creation of N. Poussin’s painting does not provide any reason to somehow connect this inscription with the Holy Grail, to which many researchers tried to link it. It can definitely be argued that the creation of the inscription was associated with recording the dates of birth and death, which have been written on tombstones since ancient times. But the next question immediately arises: who exactly? For now, it should be noted that in this sense, the plot of N. Poussin was more suitable for the author of the monument than the plot of Guercino’s painting. And this serves as additional evidence of our assumption that the dates of birth and death are encrypted in the inscription.

But another question arises: why and for what purposes was it necessary to mirror the image of N. Poussin’s painting? And the third, most important question is why the author of the monument needed (see Fig. 3) to remove the first (D) and last letter (M) of the inscription from the general row and place them below? The answer suggests itself - to indicate the year the inscription was created!

So, the key to solving the inscription is to read the letters as dates, but not in Latin, but by transliterating them into Greek, in which each letter has a numerical designation:

The methodology for calculating such inscriptions in ancient Greek graffiti and lapidary monuments is set out in the articles “Autograph of Achilles” and “Five Autographs of Homer”. Now let’s write out the inscription as it is written on the monument and below in numbers:

Let’s immediately make a reservation that to compose dates, as in acrostics, you can select the necessary numbers from the letter S: 200 or 20, or 2. Likewise for the letter O: 70 or 7. And one more rule, if units are added to tens or hundreds, then they can, if necessary, increase 10 or 100 times. For example, V.A.=50+10=60 or from the combination S.V. you can get the following options: S.V. =200+500=700; =200+50=250; =200+5=205; =20+50=70; =2+50=52; =2+5=7.

So, if the letters below indicate dates, then from them you can get the date of the inscription, 44. Moreover, in order to get it correctly, we will have to read the inscription not from left to right, but vice versa - from right to left, as is customary in Hebrew!

These two facts of 44 and the use of Hebrew suggest that we are talking here about a record at the March (A.=1st month) beginning of the year of the day of the conception of Christ on March 25 (S.V.=20+5=25) 4 years (A.V. =5-1=4) BC and resurrection on March 25 (S.V.=20+5=25) 31 years old (A.V.V.M.= 40-5-5+1=31). A detailed justification for these dates is given in my article “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (On the earthly life of Jesus Christ). The life of Christ was extremely harmonious and liturgically closed, he was conceived on Kyriepascha, Easter is called the Lord's, because it coincides with the Annunciation, celebrated on March 25. The beginning and end of Christ's life were accompanied by two miracles. Immaculate Conception on Kyriepascha, March 25, 4 BC, birth December 25, 4 BC. after 274 days (S.V.A.V.V.M.= 200+50+10+5+5+4=274) and resurrection on Kyriepascha, March 25, 31 BC. according to the old style. Thus, this inscription serves as another confirmation of what I said in the above article about the resurrection of Christ on Kyriepascha on Sunday, March 25, 31, old style.

There have been many different assumptions about what the letters D. and M. taken out of the signature row mean, now we can confidently say that this signature means dedication to the Virgin Mary: M(aria) D(edicatio) - Dedicated to Mary! Thus, the left side of the inscription describes the date of the birth of the Virgin Mary and her resurrection. Moreover, it now becomes clear why the creator of the monument needed to mirror the image of N. Poussin’s painting - so that the Virgin depicted on it would be on the side of the inscription dedicated to the Virgin Mary!

Maria was born D.O.U.O.S.=-4+7+40-70+200=167 days after March 25, i.e. September 8, old style O.U.O.D.= -7+40-7-4=22 BC, i.e. She gave birth to Christ at the age of 18. According to this inscription, composed on the anniversary of her death, she died in 43 AD. (O.U.O.= 40-4+7=43) 3 days (O.D.=7-4=3) before the birthday and resurrected 3 days later, i.e. on Sunday 8 September 43 AD. If we assume that the Mother of God died in 11 days (O.D. = 7 + 4 = 11), i.e. on Saturday, August 28, 43, as is customary today to celebrate the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on this day, then the resurrection in this case will fall on Monday, August 30, 43, which should be immediately rejected. Or we must admit that there was no resurrection of the Mother of God. And this, in my opinion, is even greater sacrilege.

Thus, the life of the Mother of God turned out to be the same as that of Christ, but by earthly birth, and not by heavenly conception, liturgically closed! According to the old style, August 28, 43 fell on Saturday, and in this case the resurrection should have fallen on Monday, August 30, 43. So, the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, now celebrated, according to this entry should be celebrated not on August 28, but on September 6 according to the old style style, for then the resurrection in 43 took place precisely on Sunday, September 8, 43. Thus, the Mother of God lived earthly life 65 years old.

P. Yu. Malkov in an article from the V volume of the “Orthodox Encyclopedia”, M. 2002, P. 486-487 writes that Church Tradition tells about sea voyage Theotokos to Lazarus, who was once resurrected by the Lord and became the Bishop of Cyprus. On the way, Her ship was caught by a storm and carried to Mount Athos. With the arrival of the Mother of God, paganism was defeated on Athos. Then the Mother of God sailed with Her companions to Cyprus, where she visited Lazarus. During her journey, the Mother of God visited Ephesus. Returning to Jerusalem, She continued to pray often and for a long time in places that were associated with the events of the earthly life of Her Son. As the “Tale of the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God” narrates, the Mother of God learned from the Archangel Gabriel that Her earthly death was already close. The Mother of God received this news with great joy: She was about to meet Her Son soon. When the Mother of God was lying on her deathbed, a miraculous event occurred: by the power of God, the apostles who were then in various countries were gathered into Her house, and thanks to this miracle they were able to be present at the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Only the Apostle Thomas was not at the bed of the Mother of God (an episode and description of the Ascension of the Mother of God according to the Latin version of the apocrypha about the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God). According to Church tradition, after the death of the Mother of God, the apostles placed Her body in a tomb-cave, blocking the entrance with a large stone. On the 3rd day, they were joined by Thomas, who was absent on the day of the Assumption, who suffered greatly from the fact that he never had time to say goodbye to the Mother of God. At his tearful prayer, the apostles rolled away the stone from the entrance to the cave so that he too could say goodbye to the body of the deceased Mother of God. But to their surprise, they did not find Her body inside the cave. Only Her clothes lay here, from which a wonderful fragrance emanated. Orthodox Church preserves the Tradition that the Mother of God was resurrected by the power of God on the 3rd day after Her Dormition and ascended to Heaven. The year of the Dormition of the Mother of God is called differently by ancient spiritual writers and church historians. Eusebius of Caesarea indicates 48 AD, Hippolytus of Rome - 43 AD, Epiphanius of Cyprus - 25th year after the Ascension of Christ, Nikephoros Callistus - 44 AD.

As we see, the year of death determined by us coincides with the data of Hippolytus of Rome (170-236). He was one of the most prolific early Christian authors, a martyr, the first antipope (217/218-235), was quartered and counted as a martyr. It is very important for our topic that he worked in Rome, but wrote in Greek, his education was Hellenic in nature (the above transliteration was commonplace for him); could have been a Roman native Greek origin, however, most patrolologists believe that he came from the East to mature age. In his theological works, Hippolytus appears as a hardworking, pedantic collector of thoughts expressed by his predecessors. It is possible that he could also have received manuscripts from one of the apostles, on the basis of which he compiled this inscription.

It should be noted that there was no reason to hide this inscription in the 18th century. was more than enough, because by this time in all church calendars and the calendar of the Western and Eastern Churches, the day of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary was celebrated for hundreds of years on August 28 according to the old style, and this became church canon. Opposing this, both then and now, is considered by the church as sacrilege. It remains to find out who this inscription belongs to; if it is proven that it belongs to one of the Apostles, and based on the date of its creation this is very likely, then the clergy need to reconsider the date of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. As we see, the inscription itself does not answer this question, because it allows for two answer options. The answer to this question must be sought in hidden texts Holy Scripture and in the works of the great hymns Basil the Great, John Chrysostom, Andrew of Crete and others. For, as it is said in the Gospel of Mark (4:22): “There is nothing hidden that would not become apparent, and nothing hidden that would not come out.” outside."

sources

Arcadian Shepherds (c. 1640), Louvre, Paris

Poussin painted two paintings based on this subject. We have before us the second of them, and the earlier one, dated 1628-30, is kept in Great Britain. It depicts a corner of Arcadia, a mountainous area in Greece. IN literary tradition Arcadia is synonymous with an idyllic country where people live according to ancient and wise laws in complete harmony with nature. In a word, they graze their flocks and cultivate their gardens. The shepherds in Poussin's painting stand near a grave with the inscription "Et in Arcadia ego". This inscription is translated in different ways. But the translation is familiar to Russian ears - “And I was in Arcadia.” The meaning of the inscription boils down to the following: the one lying under this tombstone also once lived in happy Arcadia, but even there death found him and took him under the dark arches of his underground kingdom. Thus, we again encounter one of the eternal themes in culture - the theme of the frailty of earthly existence and the inevitability of death. The shepherds look at the inscription with reverent curiosity. One of them seems to point to her to the viewer. "Arcadian shepherds" belong to the most famous works Poussin, but, alas, we again know nothing about the history of its creation. The first mention of it dates back to 1685, when the painting was acquired by King Louis XIV. The reader may be interested to know that the composition of "The Shepherds" is reproduced on Poussin's new tombstone, erected in 1832 on his tomb in the Roman church of San Lorenzo.

And (even) in Arcadia I (am)". This translation of this Latin phrase is given by James Hall's Dictionary of Plots and Symbols in Art.
“And I also lived in Arcadia”. This interpretation is given by the dictionary “Russian Thought and Speech. Ours and Others” by M. I. Mikhelson.

Let’s be clear right away: the first version of the translation must be recognized as correct.

This Latin expression is not found in any ancient author. Its appearance was recorded in Italy in the 17th century: to be precise, it first appeared in a painting by an Italian artist, which is called “Et in Arcadia Ego” by Guercino (not Bartolomeo Schidone, as dictionaries of quotations indicate, including the Dictionary of Latin winged words edited by Ya. M. Borovsky), dating back to ca. 1621 - 1623. There is reason to believe that the author of this saying was Giulio Rospigliosi (Pope Clement IX). Soon this phase became popular in Italy.

Guercino. "Et in Arcadia Ego". 1621 - 1623. Rome. Gallery Corsini

In this painting we see two Arcadian shepherds unexpectedly encounter a skull. It lies on a small pedestal on which our Latin phrase is written. Undoubtedly, here it should be understood as an indication that there is death in Arcadia. Thus, Guercino’s painting illustrates the meaning of this phrase, which J. Hall identifies in his Dictionary. In Guercino, these mythical shepherds are discouraged by what they see: before this, in their naivety, they did not think about what death is. The skull gave them the idea.
If Guercino’s painting is the first pictorial embodiment of the idea formulated in this Latin expression, then the Louvre painting by Nicolas Poussin “The Arcadian Shepherds” or otherwise also called by this very phrase is its most famous pictorial illustration.

Poussin. Arcadian shepherds (Et in Arcadia Ego). OK. 1650 - 1655 (according to other sources - ca. 1638). Paris. Louvre.

Poussin has another, earlier painting on the same subject.

Poussin. Arcadian shepherds. (1629 - 1630). Chatsworth. Collection of the Duke of Devonshire.

Both paintings by Poussin depict pseudo-antique shepherds in the fields of Arcadia who came across an ancient tombstone with the epitaph Et in Arcadia Ego carved on it. They are surprised by what they see and try to read it. And understand... What is revealed to them, and with them to us?

The pictorial subject of “Et in Arcadia Ego” gave rise to one of the longest discussions in art history. An important point it contained a biography of... Reynolds, if only because the king was involved in the discussion. Written by C. Leslie and T. Taylor, a biography of this English artist was published in London in 1865. It contains the following episode:
In 1769, Reynolds showed his friend Dr. Johnson the painting he had just completed. It depicts two ladies sitting in front of a tombstone and studying the inscription on it. This inscription is our Latin phrase. ""What does it mean? - exclaims Dr. Johnson. - Utter nonsense: I am in Arcadia!” “I suppose the king could explain it to you,” Reynolds objected. “As soon as he saw the picture yesterday, he immediately said: “Oh, there, in the depths, is a tombstone. Alas, alas, there is death even in Arcadia.”

Joshua Reynolds. Self-portrait

Here two different - one might say, opposite in meaning - understandings of this phrase are clearly defined.
This episode from the life of Reynolds, directly related to Poussin, became one of the plots in Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited (1945), and the first book of the novel has this Latin phrase as its title. It is noteworthy that the famous English writer clearly draws on Erwin Panofsky's brilliant study of this subject (Et in Arcadia Ego: Poussin and the Elegiac Tradition), which begins by recounting this particular story from Reynolds' biography.
So, who is this “I” in Arcadia?
But before answering this question, it is necessary to say that there is Arcadia in the minds of people European culture?
Geographical Arcadia is a very specific place - a mountainous region in the central part of the Peloponnese. In antiquity, the inhabitants of Arcadia lived quite isolated, engaged in cattle breeding and most of them were shepherds. For ancient Greek and Roman poets this area was associated with serene life shepherds (“Arcadian shepherds”). This is what Theocritus and Virgil say about her. Since then, Arcadia has become a symbol of life in harmony with nature, calm and peaceful, in a word, earthly paradise. For a mature person, memories of his youth, of his native places, if he once left them, are often associated with “life in Arcadia,” that is, they cause nostalgic experiences.

In Poussin's time, the idea of recreating a lost earthly paradise was popular. In Rome, where Poussin eventually settled and where he was buried (his tombstone was erected by François-René de Chateaubriand; on it he reproduced “The Arcadian Shepherds” along with the famous inscription), Arcadian pastoral ideas and even way of life, and later the Arcadian Academy was established (its members, mainly aristocrats, called themselves “shepherds” and their palaces, in which they held discussions and staged pastoral performances, “huts”).

N. Poussin. Self-portrait

They lived like animals, and did not yet know how to work:
These people were rude and unskilled.
(Ovid. “Fasts”, II, 2291 - 292. Translated by F. Petrovsky)

The phrase “Et in Arcadia Ego” is usually translated from Latin: “And I am in Arcadia” or “I am even in Arcadia.” At the same time, it is assumed that this “I” is Death, and this means exactly what King George III felt - there is death even in Arcadia. Due to this understanding of the meaning of this phrase, it is always associated with a tombstone, often also with a skull.
Famous images This plot can be divided into two groups:

1) in which Ego is a character (even if already deceased), on whose behalf this phrase is pronounced (in this case, violence occurs against the meaning of the Latin expression, and over time, the idea of death completely dissolves, giving way only to a feeling of nostalgia)

2) in which Ego is Death itself.

The interpretations of the first group are close to the well-known painting plot “The meeting of three living three dead”, often accompanied by the Latin expression: “Sum quod eris, quo des olim fui” ( "Who you are - we were, who we are - you will be").
The second group is akin to plots on the theme “Memento mori” (“Remember Death”) with a skull as an indispensable attribute of such reflections (compare with Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s reasoning over Yorick’s skull: “Alas, poor Yorick!...”; “Hamlet”, V, 1).

Poussin did not have the chance to meet Guercino in person: French artist came to Rome in 1624 or 1625, and Guercino left Rome about a year before. But Poussin probably knew the painting by Guercino. Having conceived his painting on this theme, he changed the emphasis quite significantly. The skull no longer plays like that important role, like Guercini’s, although it is still present (on the lid of the sarcophagus). There are more characters. Poussin introduced love “overtones” into the picture - the graceful figure of a shepherdess, boldly exposing her legs and chest. It’s worth thinking about, what is the significance of the figure at the base of the rock, sitting with his back to the viewer, and seemingly not participating in what is happening? We must establish this ourselves, since the artist left no explanation. He did not give exact instructions, but he gave us a kind of clue. And this key is in another, by the way, our pair painting - “Midas Bathing in the Waters of Pactolus”. It was written around the same time - in 1627.

Poussin. Midas bathing in the waters of Pactolus. 1627. New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art

What is important for us here is the figure of the river god Pactolus (depicted from the back). This figure is almost identical to that in an early Arcadian painting by Poussin. It is quite logical to conclude that in the Arcadian painting this is a river deity, especially since a stream of water pours out of the rock in which the sarcophagus is carved. If all this is so, then in the Chatsworth painting a similar figure is also a river god, but this time an Arcadian one - Alpheus.
So, we are increasingly “modulating” from the dramatic reminder of death, which exists even in Arcadia, towards the interpretation of this phrase and stories with it as an expression of longing for bygone days carefree and blissful. The Louvre painting by Poussin is another step in this direction. It is impossible to ignore the brilliant analysis of this painting made by E. Panofsky and his establishment literary source, of which this picture may be an illustration. It's about about "Tombstone in Arcadia" by Sannazzaro. (Here is his prose translation):
“I will glorify your grave among ordinary villagers. Shepherds will come from the hills of Tuscany and Liguria to worship this corner just because you lived here. And they will read on the beautiful rectangular tombstone the inscription, from which my heart every hour grows cold, which fills my chest with sorrow: “She who was always arrogant and cruel to Meliseo, now humbly rests here, under this cold stone.”

In 1665, Poussin dies in Rome, and Louis XIV tries to get his painting “The Shepherds of Arcadia”. Twenty years later he succeeds. He acquires a painting and keeps it inaccessible to the eyes of even those around him.

I. Rigo. Portrait of Louis XIV

The story with these paintings by Poussin has a mysterious continuation.
In England, on the estate of Lord Lichfield "Shagborough", a marble bas-relief was installed, which is a reproduction of a Louvre painting by Poussin. It was commissioned by the Anson family between 1761 and 1767. However, our Latin inscription on it is replaced by a set of letters:

O. U. O. S. V. A. V. V. D. M.

These mysterious letters have never been satisfactorily deciphered (an attempt was made at one time by... Charles Darwin). Omitting the details of this intriguing story, I will say that the bas-relief is related to the monument of the Knights Templar, with which the so-called “parchment from Reims Cathedral” with encoded text is associated. In this text, scientists were able to make out the words: “Poussin... keeps the key.” And I must say that he still keeps it.
The fact that the image on the bas-relief is given as if in a mirror image can be considered a mystery. The sculptor probably had before his eyes some now unknown engraving from a painting by Poussin (engravings were specially made to mirror the original, so that the subsequent print, in turn, would correctly reproduce the original) and did not bother to turn the image over when transferring it to marble.

It recently became known that the deciphering of this recording was undertaken by major British codebreakers Oliver and Sheila Lawn, who were involved in solving Nazi codes during the Second World War. Let's hope we find out the answer...

“And (even) in Arcadia I (am).” This translation of this Latin phrase is given by James Hall's Dictionary of Plots and Symbols in Art.
“And I also lived in Arcadia.” This interpretation is given by the dictionary “Russian Thought and Speech. Ours and Others” by M. I. Mikhelson.
Let’s be clear right away: the first version of the translation must be recognized as correct.
This Latin expression is not found in any ancient author. Its appearance was recorded in Italy in the 17th century: to be precise, it first appeared in a painting by an Italian artist, which is called “Et in Arcadia Ego” by Guercino (not Bartolomeo Schidone, as dictionaries of quotations indicate, including the Dictionary of Latin winged words edited by Ya. M. Borovsky), dating back to ca. 1621 – 1623. There is reason to believe that the author of this saying was Giulio Rospigliosi (Pope Clement IX). Soon this phase became popular in Italy.

Guercino. "Et in Arcadia Ego". 1621 – 1623. Rome. Gallery Corsini

Poussin. Arcadian shepherds (Et in Arcadia Ego). OK. 1650 - 1655 (according to other sources - ca. 1638). Paris. Louvre.

Poussin has another, earlier painting on the same subject.

Poussin. Arcadian shepherds. (1629 - 1630). Chatsworth. Collection of the Duke of Devonshire.

The pictorial subject of “Et in Arcadia Ego” gave rise to one of the longest discussions in art history. An important point in it was the biography of... Reynolds, if only because the king was involved in the discussion. Written by C. Leslie and T. Taylor, the biography of this English artist was published in London in 1865. It contains the following episode:
In 1769, Reynolds showed his friend Dr. Johnson the painting he had just completed. It depicts two ladies sitting in front of a tombstone and studying the inscription on it. This inscription is our Latin phrase. ""What does it mean? exclaims Dr. Johnson. “Complete nonsense: I’m in Arcadia!” “I suppose the king could explain it to you,” Reynolds objected. “As soon as he saw the picture yesterday, he immediately said: “Oh, there, in the depths, is a tombstone. Alas, alas, there is death even in Arcadia.”

Joshua Reynolds. Self-portrait

Here two different - one might say, opposite in meaning - understandings of this phrase are clearly defined.
This episode from the life of Reynolds, directly related to Poussin, became one of the plots in Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited (1945), and the first book of the novel has this Latin phrase as its title. It is noteworthy that the famous English writer clearly relies on Erwin Panofsky's brilliant study of this subject (Et in Arcadia Ego: Poussin and the Elegiac Tradition), which begins with the presentation of this particular story from Reynolds' biography.
So, who is this “I” in Arcadia?
But before answering this question, it is necessary to say what Arcadia is in the minds of people of European culture?
Geographical Arcadia is a very specific place - a mountainous region in the central part of the Peloponnese. In antiquity, the inhabitants of Arcadia lived quite isolated, engaged in cattle breeding and most of them were shepherds. For ancient Greek and Roman poets, this area was associated with the tranquil life of shepherds (“Arcadian shepherds”). This is what Theocritus and Virgil say about her. Since then, Arcadia has become a symbol of life in harmony with nature, calm and peaceful, in a word, an earthly paradise. For a mature person, memories of his youth, of his native places, if he once left them, are often associated with “life in Arcadia,” that is, they cause nostalgic experiences.

N. Poussin. Self-portrait

They lived like animals, and did not yet know how to work:
These people were rude and unskilled.
(Ovid. “Fasts”, II, 2291 – 292. Translated by F. Petrovsky)

The phrase “Et in Arcadia Ego” is usually translated from Latin: “And I am in Arcadia” or “I am even in Arcadia.” At the same time, it is assumed that this “I” is Death, and this means exactly what King George III felt - there is death even in Arcadia. Due to this understanding of the meaning of this phrase, it is always associated with a tombstone, often also with a skull.
Known images of this plot can be divided into two groups:

2) in which Ego is Death itself.

The interpretations of the first group are close to the well-known painting plot “The meeting of three living three dead”, often accompanied by the Latin expression: “Sum quod eris, quo des olim fui” (“Who you are - we were, who we are - you will be”).
The second group is akin to plots on the theme “Memento mori” (“Remember Death”) with a skull as an indispensable attribute of such reflections (compare with Shakespeare’s Hamlet’s reasoning over Yorick’s skull: “Alas, poor Yorick!...”; “Hamlet”, V, 1).

Poussin did not have the chance to meet Guercino in person: the French artist arrived in Rome in 1624 or 1625, and Guercino had left Rome about a year before. But Poussin probably knew the painting by Guercino. Having conceived his painting on this theme, he changed the emphasis quite significantly. The skull no longer plays such an important role as in Guercini’s, although it is still present (on the lid of the sarcophagus). There are more characters. Poussin introduced love “overtones” into the picture - the graceful figure of a shepherdess, boldly exposing her legs and chest. It’s worth thinking about, what is the significance of the figure at the base of the rock, sitting with his back to the viewer, and seemingly not participating in what is happening? We must establish this ourselves, since the artist left no explanation. He did not give exact instructions, but he gave us a kind of clue. And this key is in another, by the way, our pair painting - “Midas Bathing in the Waters of Pactolus”. It was written around the same time - in 1627.

Poussin. Midas bathing in the waters of Pactolus. 1627. New York. Metropolitan Museum of Art

What is important for us here is the figure of the river god Pactolus (depicted from the back). This figure is almost identical to that in an early Arcadian painting by Poussin. It is quite logical to conclude that in the Arcadian painting this is a river deity, especially since a stream of water pours out of the rock in which the sarcophagus is carved. If all this is so, then in Chatsworth’s painting a similar figure is also a river god, but this time an Arcadian one - Alpheus.
So, we are increasingly “modulating” from the dramatic reminder of death, which exists even in Arcadia, towards the interpretation of this phrase and stories with it as an expression of longing for the old days of carefree and bliss. The Louvre painting by Poussin is another step in this direction. It is impossible to ignore the brilliant analysis of this painting made by E. Panofsky, and his identification of the literary source of which this painting may be an illustration. We are talking about "Tombstone in Arcadia" by Sannazzaro. (Here is his prose translation):
“I will glorify your grave among ordinary villagers. Shepherds will come from the hills of Tuscany and Liguria to worship this corner just because you lived here. And they will read on the beautiful rectangular tombstone the inscription, from which my heart every hour grows cold, which fills my chest with sorrow: “She who was always arrogant and cruel to Meliseo, now humbly rests here, under this cold stone.”

I. Rigo. Portrait of Louis XIV

O. U. O. S. V. A. V. V. D. M.

On Russian soil this winged Latin expression was also known. In K. Batyushkov’s poem “The Inscription on the Shepherdess’s Coffin” (1810), it is implied and interpreted as a sad memory of a happy past.

INSCRIPTION ON THE SHEPHERD'S GRAVE

Dear friends! in playful carelessness
To the tune of a dance, you frolic in the meadows.
And I, like you, lived happy in Arcadia,
And I, in the morning of days, in these groves and meadows
I tasted moments of joy:
Love in golden dreams promised me happiness:
But what did I get in these joyful places? -
Grave!

It is noteworthy that commentators associate the words “And I... lived in Arcadia” with the Louvre painting by Poussin, interpreting the inscription on it exactly as Batyushkov does. This poem by Batyushkov was included in the libretto “ Queen of Spades» P. Tchaikovsky – here it is Polina’s Romance (act I, scene 2).

Today we’ll talk not only about the merits of Nicolas Poussin’s painting, but also about what is encrypted on it. Poussin's painting “The Arcadian Shepherds” (c. 1650, Paris, Louvre) has an undeniable attractive force.

So what is the “mystery” of the masterpiece? The answer to this question should be found in the title, subject and compositional structure paintings, showing maximum respect for the artist’s work.

Nicolas Poussin "The Arcadian Shepherds"

ABOUT THE PICTURE

Poussin has another painting on this topic.

Both paintings by Poussin depict young people examining an ancient tombstone. An epitaph is carved on it in Latin script.

« AND IN ARCADIA I AM" "Et in Arcadia Ego"

Interpretation of the inscription on the tombstone:

“And I (i.e. death) even here in Arcadia”

“And I (i.e. the deceased) remain in Arcadia”

Surprised shepherds try to read the half-erased inscription and understand who this “I” is? Where is Arcadia? This Latin expression is not found in any ancient author. Its appearance was recorded in Italy in the 17th century. There is reason to believe that the author of this saying was Giulio Rospigliosi (Pope Clement IX). Soon this phase became popular in Italy.

To be precise, it first appeared in a painting by an Italian artist, which is called “Et in Arcadia Ego” by Guercino. 1621 – 1623.

If the painting is by Guercinofirstpictorial embodiment of the idea formulated in this Latin expression, then the Louvre painting by Nicolas Poussin “Arcadian Shepherds” or otherwise also called by this very phrase is the mostfamousher pictorial illustration.

ARCADIA

Surprised shepherds try to read the half-erased inscription and understand who this “I” is? Where is Arcadia? There really is such a place on the map - it is a mountainous place in southern Greece. In ancient times, the inhabitants of Arcadia were mainly shepherds or hunters. Roman and Greek poets perceived Arcadia not just as a locality, but as a symbol of the harmony of man and nature.

Virgil called it a land of bliss and described the life of the shepherds as the embodiment of happy carefreeness. Pastoral motifs were also in great fashion among European aristocrats – Poussin’s contemporaries. They even called themselves shepherds, and their palaces, where they acted out scenes from village life, as huts.

They lived like animals, and did not yet know how to work:
These people were rude and unskilled.
(Ovid. “Fasts”, II, 2291 – 292. Trans. F. Petrovsky)

PICTURE ARCADIAN SHEPHERDS

We see on picture of three shepherds and a woman examining the tombstone.

One shepherd carefully reads the inscription, another, thoughtfully, bowed his head, the third, pointing to a stone tombstone, looks questioningly and anxiously at his companion.

The woman is in the foreground against the background classical landscape, whose blue and yellow-golden colors are in harmony with her clothes. Her calm, antique figure is positioned vertically and somewhat removed from the grave, although it is closely connected with the figure of the youngest of the three shepherds. She put her hand patronizingly on his shoulder, as if comforting him and conveying to him the energy of life taken from nature.

Her figure is calm and majestic, the woman has a philosophical attitude towards death, understanding its inevitability. This character embodies the elegiac mood that Poussin probably wanted to express with his painting.

The composition of the canvas is simple and orderly, everything is subject to laws classical beauty: cool color sky and warm colors foreground, the beauty of the naked human body against the background of stone. All this causes a feeling of peace and mental balance.

WHO IS THIS MYSTERIOUS ME FROM ARCADIA?

There are different versions of interpretation.

Maybe he lived here in peace and joy, and is now buried under this slab? Or should this inscription be understood in figuratively? Is Arcadia a memory of youth, of abandoned native places where a person was happy? Many poets translated these words as follows: “And I, too, was in Arcadia,” meaning: “And I, too, was young and carefree.” Louis the Fourteenth probably also longed for his cheerful youth, looking at his favorite painting by Poussin.

Impassive female figure This is death itself and the inscription is made on its behalf. “I, death, exist even in Arcadia.” The shadow of the shepherd’s hand on the gravestone resembles a scythe, a constant attribute of death. It is not for nothing that in the first version of “The Arcadian Shepherds” there is a skull on the tombstone.

Perhaps Poussin wanted to destroy the serene mood of the heroes and make them think about future suffering. According to modern mystery hunters, Poussin's painting is a mystical message to the descendants of an ancient dynasty dating back to Jesus Christ himself. And Arcadia is a reference to the city of Ark, where the dynasty keeps the Holy Grail.

ANOTHER RIDDLE.

O. U. O. S. V. A. V. V. D. M.

These mysterious letters have never been satisfactorily deciphered (an attempt was made at one time by... Charles Darwin).

The bas-relief is related to the monument of the Knights Templar, with which the so-called “parchment from Reims Cathedral” with encoded text is associated. In this text, scientists were able to make out the words: " POUSSIN KEEPS THE KEY". And I must say that he still keeps it.

INSCRIPTION ON THE SHEPHERD'S GRAVE

ARCADIA TODAY

Arcadia is rightly considered one of the most beautiful areas of Greece.

The capital of Arcadia is Tripoli. The city is rich in beautiful neoclassical buildings, such as house of the poet Costa Karyotakis And Courthouse at Mars Square. We also recommend visiting the Byzantine Church of St. Basil — Cathedral cities, and Monastery of Our Lady of Epano Khrepa. The city also has Archaeological Museum.

The capital of the region, Tripoli, is surrounded by many hamlets and villages with rich history and traditions. For example, an ancient cityTegea, where it was preserved ancient temple, which contained an ivory statue of the goddess Athena, almost completely lost today. Also in Tag there isArchaeological Museum And Church of Episcopia, built on the site of an ancient theater.

Judging by the photographs, Arcadia today is a heavenly place. I really want to look into these ancient and beautiful ancient places.