Et in Arcadia Ego I
by POUSSIN, Nicolas, Oil on canvas, 101 x 82 cm
Taking up Guercino’s interpretation of the subject, Poussin elaborates upon the scene. Thus Guercino’s plinth becomes a proper stone tomb, while the skull is relegated to the background. References to the Arcadian setting are reinforced by the figure of the shepherdess on the left and the allegorical portrayal of the river god on the right.