Jacques Louis David (1749—1825) was a very important painter during the late 18C and the early 19C painting. He was the master of Neo-classicism and later Romanticism. At time he was some what artistic Czar of the time. Neoclassicism was a ‘modernising’ artistic movement of the time after the decline of the aristocratic art of Rococo. In 1782 he became an Academician and in 1784 he returned to Rome to paint the Oath of the Horatii (1785), an important painting in the history of painting. It was more like the underground art of its days. During the French Revolution, he became a Deputy and involved with the politics of the day. Many well-known painters of the early 19C were his pupils, including Gerard & Ingres. As a painter, his portraits were supreme. Due to the changing politics of France, he imposed self-exile and cut off from the main stream of Romanticism in France.

1. Jacques-Louis David
The pioneer of the Neoclassicism
First created July 2005. Version 3.0 - 7 Nov 2019. Daperro. London.

2. French Revolution ( 1789-1799) and Neoclassicism (1765-1830)
Rococo, with its decorative and
aristocratic style, was the dominant artistic
movement in France before the outbreak
of the French Revolution.
David believed in the revolutionary ideal.
But at the end of his life, he was in exile in
Belguim as Neoclassicism declined. It
was a revolutionary dream that had gone
sour. The portrait of the Artist. 1794. Oil on Canvas. 81x64 cm.
Jacques-Louis David. Musee du Louvre, Paris
Neoclassicism was born, leading up to
the revolution. It was a revival of the
ancient traditions, inspired by the arts and
sculptures discovered in Herculaneum
and Pompeii, in Italy. Jacques-Louis
David (1748-1825) with his pivotal works,
Death of Marat and Oath of the Horatii,
embodied the ideas of basic human rights,
rationalism and moral rectitude.

3. Neo-classicists imitated antique art both
in style and subject matter. For David,
this meant using classical poses, set in a
Greek or Roman traditions.
His style was technically commanding but
at times austere or academic. David
adopted a highly theoretical and
intellectual approach, leading to the use
of formal and theatrical gestures. Many
of his works are painted on large canvas.
His art became the official art of the
French Revolution and of the Napoleonic
Empire.
He was closely involved in revolution and
was one of the first painters of
propaganda.
He died in exile in Brussels in 1825 at the
age 77.
Neoclassicism 1765-1830

4. It was David’s first commission was
an altarpiece in the chapel of the
Lazaret (quarantine centre) in
Marseille.
First Commission 1780

5. This was David first
Neoclassical styled
painting, in which a the
Byzantine general
Belisarius, who was
accused of treason and
disgraced. His blinded as
an outcast. Recognized by
one of the soldier who
served under, he received
alms from a woman.
Beginning of his Neoclassical style. 1781

6. Oath of the Horatii. 1784

7. This was the first painting that
bought fame to David. It was a
defining images of its time before
the French Revolution. The
painting emphasizes the citizen’s
loyalty to the state rather than the
clan or clergy.
The family of Horatii was chosen
to fight the family from Alba
Longa to settle a dispute
between the city of Rome and
the city of Alba Longa.
The painting was a depiction of
dutiful patriotism, with austere
and formal theatrical poses. The
focal point is the sword, the
tension of the sons and the father
and the weeping women in the
corner all spaced out in a stage-
like settings.
Oath of the Horatii. (Detail) 1784

8. One of the sister was killed
by her own brother for crying
for the enemy, as she was
betrothed to the Alba
Longa’s family.
Oath of the Horatii. (Detail) 1784

9. Madame Pecoul 1784

10. Death of Socrates 1787

11. Return of the Sons of Brutus. 1789

12. Brutus the First Consul of the
Roman Republic sitting on
the left of the painting under a
shadow, having condemned
his two sons for plotting
against the Republic, with the
last king of Rome.
David’s message of self-
sacrifice for the Republican
ideals is very clear. The
painting was completed,
after the storming of the
Bastille began and the
French Revolution had
begun, but the government
of the king was still in
power.
When the newspapers
reported the authority had
banned the painting, the
people were outraged and the
government was forced to
give in. The painting went on
to be shown in exhibitions,
defended by art students.
Return of the Sons of Brutus. 1789

13. Marquise d’Orvilliers (Detail). 1790

14. The beginning of the French Republic 1497

15. Marat 1793

16. Marat 1793
Marat, a leader of the French
revolution and a friend of David,
was killed by his Royalist rival.
David painted Marat’s limp arm
by the bath, a similar pose to
Michelangelo’s Pieta in St
Peter’s Basilica, Rome.

17. Seriziat Family 1795

18. The Sabine Women 1799

19. In 1795, David, the political activist was
imprisoned. He started to work on the
painting from 1796, when France was at
war other European nations and civil
conflicts within the French Republic,
culminating in the Reign of Terror.
While he was in prison, he was regularly
visited by his loyal wife, Charlotte Pecoul
and his four children. Even though they
were divorced since 1794. They remarried
again after securing his release.
The painting was a tribute to his wife and a
recognition of the power of women as a
peacemakers. It is also a plea of
reconciliation and to reunite after the
bloodshed and terror of the revolution.
Roman captured the Sabine Women to be
their wives. The painting showed that the
Sabine women rushed with their babies,
between their husbands and their brothers
& fathers to stop the fighting. Woman as a peace maker and as a Victim.
The Sabine Women 1799

20. The Sabine Women 1799

21. Madame de Veminac 1799

22. Napoleon rising power
Napoleon continued with the
revolution and introduced
revolutionary ideals to France.
His military success initially
consolidated the revolution, but
also turned France into a
military dictatorship. He
betrayed the revolution and he
crowned himself to be the
Emperor of France.

23. The painting was in such
demand that five versions
were painted.
Bonaparte Crossing the Alps
1801

24. Coronation fo Napoleon 1805

25. Coronation of Napoleon (Detail) 1805

26. Coronation of Napoleon (Detail) 1805

27. Not only Napoleon had betrayed of ideals of
the Republic, he also bought a continental
war to Europe. He invaded Russia, Italy,
Spain etc.
Napoleon in his Study at Tuileries 1812
He also brought modern warfare,
transforming from relatively small scale to a
conscripts total war, with artillery and military
organization.

28. Leonidas at Thermopylae 1814

29. David had begun the
painting in 1798 as a
companion piece to the
Intervention of the Sabine
Woman. However, it was
completed much later in
1814.
The 300 Spartans, led by
their king Leonidas, were
prepared to sacrifice their
lives for Greece. They
were finally killed only
after their heroic defeat to
ensured the safe retreat of
the Greek fleet.
Leonidas at Thermopylae 1814

30. Napoleon defeated

31. David exile in Brussels

32. Cupid and Psyche 1817

33. Mars disarmed by Venus 1824

34. Mars disarmed by Venus (Detail) 1824

35. Madame Recamier 1800.

36. Madame Recamier (1777-1848)
On the right is a painting of Madame Recamier
by an unknown artist.
Madame Recamier married a wealthy banker at
the tender age of 15 and kept her virginity into
middle age. David painted her portrait when she
was 23.
Her natural beauty was enhanced by a simple
dress and a hair band.
David’s portrait was unfinished due to a
disagreement between the artist and the
subject. The background of the painting is bare
contrasting with David’s more polished works.
David painted the charming young maiden with
grace and elegance, as though she had just
turned to look at us who had entered the room.
She is painted with brown hair instead of her
darker natural colour, to suit the colour scheme.
Note. I cannot find the painter who painted the above portrait of
Madame Recamier.

37. Madame Recamier. 1802. 255x145cm. Francois Gerard. French.
Musee Carnavalet, Paris.
This painting was painted by Francois-
Pascal Gerard, a former pupil of David,
two years later.
Gerard was asked to paint her. He was
the most successful society portrait artist
of the day. Hearing this news, David left
his painting unfinished.
Comparing the three portraits, it appears
that Gerard has achieved a better
likeness than David. Given David was
such a good painter, it is possible he was
trying to give her a more elegant look.
Two of the portraits show her with black
hair, a seductive look, a low cut dress and
bare shoulders. Gerard gave his painting
a rosy tint, a gentle smile and a more
youthful look. At the time, this was
considered to be flattering.
Gerard’s Madame Recamier 1802

38. A Comparison of the two Madame Recamier.
Madame Recamier in David’s painting, as charming, natural, graceful and elegant yet a
little distant. Her hair is more natural but a little unkempt.
In Gerard’s painting, she was lovely, simple, pretty and flirtatious. In contrast, her hair in
the painting is neat.

39. The piece of furniture today is known as a Recamier couch.
Rene Magrette, the Surrealist painter, made a series of paintings based on 19th Century
French artists, substituting coffins for figures.
The graceful and charming beauty of Madame Recamier is no long there but replaced by
a cold and emotionless coffin. Magrette painted a piece of clothing left behind, giving us a
hint of her previous existence.
Perspective :Madame
Recamier by David. 1951. Oil
on canvas. 60.5x80.5 cm.
Rene Margritte. French.
National Gallery of Canada.
Ottawa.
Magrette’s Madame Recamier.

40. Madame Recamier 1800.

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Available free for non-commercial and personal use.
Music – I Dreamed a Dream, Eru Matsumoto and Jerry
Dean. from the musical, Les Miserables
The
End

43. 19C Painters