Analysis of "The Death of Marat" by Jacques-Luis David: A class project following the theme "Life & Times affect on artists and their artwork."

1. How Did Jacques-Louis David’s
Life and Times Affect
“The Death of Marat?”
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2. The Death
of Marat
1793
Jacques-Louis David
Oil on canvas
165 X 128.3 cm
65 X 50 1/2 in.
Musees Royaux
des Beaux-Arts
de Belgique
http://www.fine-arts-
museum.be/site/EN/frames/F_p
einture17.html

3. The Story:
Jean-Paul Marat, Robespierre, and David were all
Jacobins. The Jacobins wanted to rid France of the
monarchy. Marat was a hot-tempered speaker and a
violent man. To some he was a super-patriot, to others he
was a rabble-rousing troublemaker. He had tried many
different careers, but was not very competent in any of
them. Then he found his true cause - the French
Revolution. Marat used his writing and speaking skills to
provoke and justify revolutionary violence. Marat had a
terrible skin disease and would have died before too long.
He had to sit in his bathtub for hours each day to treat his
hideous skin. Because he spent so much time in the
bathtub, his office was set up there.

4. Charlotte Corday wanted a revolution, too, but she did not
want to destroy the monarchy. She thought it was her
patriotic duty to stop the Jacobins. She thought she could
do this by killing Marat - so she wrote Marat a clever note
that tricked him into letting her into his apartment. Then
she stabbed him in the heart. She was quickly caught and
executed. David had visited Marat the day before his
murder and remembered the scene well. David painted
Marat as if he were a young and healthy man. Included in
the painting is the knife, the letter, and Marat's writing
table. This painting was used shamelessly as propaganda to
inspire the French to join the Revolution.

5. Biography
Jacques-Louis David
French, 1748-1825
Jacques-Louis David
“Self-Portrait, 1794.”
Oil on canvas. 81 x 64 c.
Louvre. Paris, France
http://www.abcgallery.com/D/
david/david30.html
If anyone was ever a
dictator in the world of art,
it was Jacques Louis
David.

6. David was born into a prosperous middle-class family in
Paris. After his father was killed in a duel, his mother sent
him to be raised by his uncles. He was very single-minded
and ambitious. He studied art and joined the influential
Royal Academy of Art. He earned a studio in the Louvre.
He invented his own Neoclassical style as shown by his
painting, "The Oath of the Horatii." He used this painting
and others to stir up patriotism and fuel the French
Revolution. One could say he was the official painter of
the French Revolution. He was a great propagandist. On
the good side, David recorded the French national
treasures making him one of the creators of France's
fantastic art museums.

7. On the bad side, he was so radical during the Revolution
that he personally signed the death papers for nearly 300
people. It is estimated that 17,000 people were executed
by guillotine during the Reign of Terror. David himself
voted to execute King Louis XVI. David was put in prison
twice because of his role in the Reign of Terror. His
loyalist wife and his art students got him released. He was
a great teacher. Many of his students later became famous
artists. Then he met Napoleon Bonaparte. He flattered
Napoleon until he became Bonaparte's official painter. He
painted Napoleon enthusiastically. When Napoleon lost
power, David exiled himself to Brussels where he painted
scenes from mythology until he died. His ashes were
returned to Paris and he was buried there with glory.

8. The Oath of the Horatii (1784-
1785, Louvre, Paris) by Jacques-
Louis David. King Louis XVI
paid David to paint this picture.
He thought the subject would
improve the morals of the French
people. The three men you see are
Roman brothers, the Horatii, who
are famous in Roman history for
promising to sacrifice their lives
for their country. David painted it
in a Classical Roman style. David
designed this painting to stir up
the French people so they would
begin the revolution.
Oil on canvas, 4.27 by 3.35 m (14 by 11 ft).
Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York
"The Oath of the Horatii."Microsoft®
Encarta® Encyclopedia 2001. © 1993-2000
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
http://www.louvre.fr/anglais/colle
c/peint/inv3692/peint_f.htm

9. The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the
Tuileries, 1812, by Jacques-Louis David.
This portrait of the young Napoleon shows
him in his best uniform with all his medals.
A draft of the Code Napoleon is on his desk.
His rumpled clothing, the burnt-down
candle, the writing materials, and the clock
(the time is 4:13 a.m.) suggest that Napoleon
worked all night. The sword on the chair
flatters Napoleon's military skill. The word
"Code,” written on his papers, flatters his
administrative skill. The heraldic bees and
the fleurs-de-lys (symbols of French power)
flatter Napoleon's power as ruler. David
became Napoleon’s official painter. David
made up the chair, but Napoleon liked it so
much that David made a real one for him.
Oil on canvas, 203.9 x 125.1 cm
(80 1/4 x 49 1/4 in.) The National
Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.,
Samuel H. Kress Collection
1961.9.15
http://www.nga.gov/cgibi
n/pinfo?Object=45831+0
+none

10. Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism was part of "The Enlightenment." It was a
reaction against the ultra-fancy Rococo style. When the
artists and architects of David's time saw the newly -
uncovered artifacts from Herculaneum, Pompeii, and
Athens, they were inspired. The simple elegance of the
Greek and Roman art was a strong contrast to the
extremely decorative and frivolous Rococo art.
Neoclassical painting was plain, with strong lighting, and
it emphasized the Roman idea of virtue and goodness.
David learned about classical art when he studied art in
Italy. He was also influenced by Nicolas Poussin, an
earlier Neoclassical artist. David influenced his many
students to paint in the Neoclassical style.

11. This is a painting in the Rococo style by
François Boucher, French, 1703 - 1770
“Allegory of Painting, 1765.”
oil on canvas, 101.5 x 130 cm (40 x 51 1/8
in.) The National Gallery of Art, Washington,
D.C.
Samuel H. Kress Collection
1946.7.1
http://www.nga.gov/cgi-
bin/pinfo?Object=32695+0+none
This is a painting in the Neoclassical style
by Nicolas Poussin, French, 1593-1665
“The Death of Germanicus, 1627”
oil on canvas, 58 1/4 X 77 3/8 in. (148.0 X
196.5 cm) The Minneapolis Institute of Art,
The William Hood Dunwoody Fund, G341
http://www.artsmia.org/collection
/search/art.cfm?id=1348

12. The Times
The time was "The Enlightenment," but France, under the
rule of Luis XVI and Marie Antoinette was not very
enlightened. Both were badly educated and unprepared to
be good leaders. The Enlightenment challenged the idea
that the king ruled by divine right. At this time, there were
many people in France who did not have enough to eat,
and there was a large middle class that was tired of not
being represented. France was deeply in debt because of
the Seven Years' War and the Revolutionary War in
America. King Luis XVI called a meeting so he could
raise more money to pay off the national debt. The meeting
did not go well. A huge crowd of Parisians attacked and
destroyed a prison to get guns to defend themselves
against the King's army. The revolution began.

13. Many royals left France. Luis XVI and his family were
imprisoned. He and Marie Antoinette were eventually
guillotined. A small group of Parisians took the law into
their own hands and executed more than 1,000 loyalist
prisoners. Then the Revolution grew even more radical.
Three groups struggled for power. David, Marat, and
Robespierre, belonged to the Jacobins, the most radical
group. The Jacobins brought some good things: a voice in
the government for the lower classes, free education, price
controls, food for the poor, and fairer taxes. However, the
Jacobins fought among themselves and were not able to
complete all their reforms. The rest of Europe was against
the revolution.

14. Napoleon, who had successfully fought off armies sent to
protect the royals, became the leader of France. Napoleon
was the greatest military genius of his time. He conquered
much of Europe. He was a great leader and made many
good reforms - including the Napoleonic Codes which are
still used in France today.
In this painting, Napoleon is shown riding a
magnificent horse, when in reality he
crossed this pass on a mule.
Jacques-Louis David. “Bonaparte
Crossing the St. Bernard Pass, 1800.” Oil
on canvas. 260 x 221 cm. Musée National
de Malmaison, Rueil-Malmaison, France.
http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=8
5097&item=143576

15. • Sheets are draped around him. A towel wraps his head.
• His left hand holds a letter, his right hand holds a pen.
• A knife rests on the floor, his chest is bloody.
• The sheets near his chest are stained with blood.
• A wooden box holds ink and papers.
• The name of the artist and the subject are written on the
box.
Description:
• This is an oil painting.
• It is nearly life-sized.
• There are few bright colors.
• Marat is in a bathtub .
• He is not sitting upright.

16. • This is an idealized portrait.
• The face has a peaceful expression.
• Marat looks young and strong.
• His skin is smooth and healthy.
• The lines are flowing and organic.
• The space is shallow.
• The lighting is strong.
• The dark background contrasts
with the lighter foreground.
• The texture is smooth.
• No brushstrokes can be seen.
Description:

17. • Flowing lines
• Strong contrast
• Dramatic light
Description:

18. Analysis:
• Asymmetrical.
• Flowing rhythm.
• Movement pulls you in.
• First you see the face.
• Contrast points to a note.
•Color reveals blood.
•Clue?
•A knife!

19. • The size and contrast of the hand is
exaggerated.
• The hard geometric shapes of the
furniture emphasize the wilting pose
of the body.
• The foreshortening of the face pulls the
viewer into the space of the picture.
•This emphasis tells us that these things are important.
•The writing is enlarged.

20. Interpretation:
Restful pose
Serene expression
Gloomy background
Marat has a strange sense of peaceful euphoria over his face like the
face of an ethereal saint or higher being.
Good vs. Evil
Glowing light
Strong arms
Plain furniture
Sinister blood
Mysterious letter

21. Judgment:
This picture is very sad, and the subject matter is not
pretty. It is clear that David was a friend and supporter of
Marat. Yet it’s also clear that David chose to use Marat’s
murder to further the cause of the Revolution. David’s
skill as a painter is amazing - who else could have pulled
so many viewers, so willingly, into such a gruesome
picture. The details of the picture are choreographed as
carefully as a ballet. The plainness, smoothness and
elegance of the picture almost make you forget that you
are looking at the scene of a terrible crime. Marat, with
his saintly smile, could be merely sleeping. It’s purpose
is to please our eye with it’s simple beauty, and then
persuade us to take action and join the Revolution. A
Rococo painting could not have had that kind of power.

22. This leaves us with more questions than answers:
•How important was this painting to the Revolution?
•Can great art also be propaganda?
•Does the subject matter of art have to be beautiful?
•Should David’s radical actions during the Revolution
influence how we judge his artwork?
•What would have happened to the Revolution if it had
never been painted?
•What would have happened if Marat had died of natural
causes, or if a fellow Jacobin had killed him instead?
•What do you think?
•What if Napoleon had not been successful and the
Revolution had failed?

23. Works Cited
Boucher, François "Allegory of Painting," 1765 Samuel H. Kress Collection 1946.7.1 The
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 15 February 2003 <http://www.nga.gov/cgi-
bin/pinfo?Object=32695+0+none>
Connely, Owen, "Napoleon I." World Book Online Americas Edition. 23 January 2003
<http:///www.worldbookonline.com/ar?/na/ar/co/ar381040.htm>
David, Jacques Louis "Bonaparte Crossing the St. Bernard Pass," 1800 AllPosters.com. 23
February 2003<http://www.allposters.com/gallery.asp?aid=85097&item=143576>
David, Jacques Louis, "The Death of Marat" 1793 Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts de
Belgique 23 January 2003 <http://www.fine-arts-
museum.be/site/EN/frames/F_peinture17.html>
David, Jacques Louis "The Emperor Napoleon in His Study at the Tuileries" 1812 The
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Samuel H. Kress Collection1961.9.15
<http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pinfo?Object=45831+0+none
"David, Jacques-Louis." Microsoft Encarta, Encyclopedia, 2001. CD-ROM. Microsoft
Coorporation, 1993/2000.

24. David, Jacques Louis, "The Oath of the Horatii" 1784-1785 Microsoft Encarta, Encyclopedia,
2001. CD-ROM. Microsoft Coorporation, 1993/2000.
David, Jacques Louis, "Self-Portrait" 1794 abcgallery. 23 January 2003
<http://www.abcgallery.com/D/david/david30.html>
Gerten-Jackson, Carol. "J.L. David." CGFA. 22 January 2003
<http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/jdavid/jdavid_bio.htm>
"Jacques Louis David." Geocities. 22 January 2003
<http://www.geocities.com/Paris/6745/david.html>
"Jacques-Louis David - Biography." The National Gallery of Art. 11 February 2003
<http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/pbio?7600>
"Jacques-Louis David." Olga's Gallery. 22 January 2003
<http://www.abcgallery.com/D/david/davidbio.html>
"Napoleon I Emperor of the French." Lucidcafe. 20 January 2003
<http://www2.lucidcafe.com/lucidcafe/lucidcafe/library/95aug/napoleon.html>

25. "Neoclassical Art and Architecture." Microsoft Encarta, Encyclopedia, 2001. CD-ROM.
Microsoft Coorporation, 1993/2000.
"Neoclassism and French Revolution." Boston College. 22 January 2003
<http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/neocl_dav.html>
Poussin, Nicolas "The Death of Germanicus," 1627 The William Hood Dunwoody Fund,
G341 The Minneapolis Institute of Art. 23 February 2003.
<http://www.artsmia.org/collection/search/art.cfm?id=1348>
Wilson, Elizabeth. "Jacques-Louis David: Stage Manager of the Revolution." Smithsonian
Magazine. August, 1998. 23 January 2003
<http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues98/aug98/david.htm>l
Wilton-Ely, John. "Neoclassicism." The Dictionary of Art, 2000. 20 January 2003
<http://www.grovereference.com/TDA/Samples/Neo.htm>
Woloch, Isser. "French Revolution.” World Book Online Americas Edition. 23 January 2003
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/ar?na/ar/co/ar211160.htm>>