This painting is part of the group: The Dal Pozzo Sacraments
On loan from the Duke of Rutland's Trustees, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Lincolnshire, © The Duke of Rutland's Trustees, Belvoir Castle, Grantham, Lincs.
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A dying man is anointed with oil in accordance with the rite of the ancient Christian church. Mourners are in various attitudes of grief: his mother holds his head; his wife sits at the foot of the bed; behind her, his daughter joins her hands in prayer. This sombre scene is lightened by Poussin's use of colour and by the presence of a maidservant on the far right who is clearly not emotionally involved.
This is one of a series of paintings illustrating the sacraments painted for Poussin's Roman patron, Cassiano dal Pozzo.
Other paintings in this group: The Dal Pozzo Sacraments
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The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN