French Neoclassical Painter, 1748-1825 Jacques-Louis David is famous for his huge, dramatic canvasses of Napoleon and other historical figures, including Oath of the Horatii (1784), Death of Marat (1793) and The Sabine Women (1799). Early in his career he was a leader in the neoclassical movement; later his subjects became more modern and political. David was himself active in the French Revolution as a supporter of Robespierre and is sometimes called the chief propagandist for the Revolution; after the Reign of Terror ended he was briefly imprisoned for his actions. When Napoleon took power David became his court painter and created several grand canvasses of the Emperor, including the heroic Napoleon Bonaparte Crossing the Alps (1801) and the enormous Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine (1807). David also painted Napoleon in His Study (1812),
Head of the Dead Marat
black and brown ink, 270 x 210 mm Mus?e National du Ch?teau, Versailles David probably drew Marat while the body was on display and this drawing, with its network of crosshatching in the manner of an engraving, isolates the head and produces a macabre yet powerful portrait of the deceased. As with the final painting (The Death of Marat) there is no suggestion of the violent act that had taken place, and in the four corners David wrote A MARAT /L'AMI/DU PEUPLE/DAVID (To Marat, The Friend of the People, David). Author: DAVID, Jacques-Louis Title: Head of the Dead Marat Form: graphics , 1801-1850 , French , study