“Midas washing at the source of the River Pactolus” is an oil on canvas artwork created by the esteemed artist Nicolas Poussin in 1624. This work is a notable example of the Classical art movement and is characterized as a mythological painting. The dimensions of the artwork are 97 by 72 centimeters, and it currently resides at the Musee Fesch in Ajaccio, France.
The artwork depicts a scene from Greco-Roman mythology where King Midas is seen washing himself in the waters of the River Pactolus. The painting captures the moment of Midas’s attempt to rid himself of the golden touch bestowed upon him by the god Dionysus as a reward, which turned into a curse when every object he touched, food and drink included, turned to gold. The figures in the painting are rendered with an acute attention to anatomical detail, a hallmark of Poussin’s style and the classicist ideal. The composition is carefully structured; Midas is central and dominant, naked except for a draped cloth over his lower body, capturing the vulnerability and humanity of the king in his moment of transformation. The river deity is also featured, symbolizing the natural force that will cleanse the cursed touch from Midas. The palette is composed of earthy tones, highlighting the natural setting and the dramatic intensity of the mythological event being depicted. The brushwork and the use of light and shadow enhance the three-dimensional quality of the figures and provide a sense of realism to the mythical narrative. Overall, Poussin’s work reflects the intellectual rigor and the return to classical ideals that characterize the Classicism movement in art, emphasizing balance, harmony, and order.
