NICHOLAS, an eminent French painter, born in 1594, at Andel, a little city in Normandy, where his father was of noble extraction, but born to a small estate. Being invited to Paris by Louis XIII., who assigned him a pension and lodgings in the Tuileries, he painted for Prince Justinian an historical picture representing Herod's cruelty; an admirable composition, in which he gave such expression to every character, as could not fail to strike the beholder with terror and pity. He then laboured for several years on the celebrated pictures of the seven sacraments of the Catholic church. But none of Poussin's designs have been more generally admired than that of the death of Germanicus, which would have gained him immortal honour if he had never painted another picture. He began the labours of Hercules in the gallery of the Louvre; but the faction of Vouet's school railing at him and his performances, put him out of humour with his own country, that he returned to Rome, where he died in 1665. He never went beyond easel-pieces, for which he had a perpetual demand; and his method was to fix the price he expected on the back of the canvass, which was readily paid.

Gaspar. This painter, whose real name was Dughet, was born at Paris in 1600, and was induced to travel to Rome, not only from a love of the art of painting, but also to visit his sister, who was married to Nicholas Poussin. Sandrat says that Gaspar was employed at first only to prepare the pallet, pencils, and colours for Nicholas; but by the precepts and example of that excellent master, he gradually rose to the highest reputation, and is undoubtedly one of the best landscape painters that ever appeared. Whilst he continued at Rome he dropped his own name, and assumed that of his brother-in-law and benefactor, by which only he is now known. He died in 1662.