Abstract

The aim of this article is to demonstrate and analyze the impact of an interpretation on the appearance of an artwork. The chosen example is the painting Israelites gathering Manna in the wilderness(1637-9) by Nicolas Poussin. The painting is first viewed and experienced as it appears in the light of French classicist thought, in particular the comprehension of Charles LeBrun and André Félibien. The legacy of French classicism is then traced in later scholarship, and the painting is further seen in relation to other scholarly frameworks. It is finally claimed that the "versions" of the painting as it appears through various interpretations can be explained in terms of a performative dimension in art. It is also claimed that this dimension is an essential aspect of the aesthetic nature of the artwork.

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