The Three Horatii Brothers 1785 Black chalk, wash and white highlights, 580 x 450 mm Mus?e Bonnat, Bayonne David worked in a very methodical manner on The Oath of the Horatii, drawing from life models and draped mannequins, and some very detailed studies survive for many of the main figures. Author: DAVID, Jacques-Louis Title: The Three Horatii Brothers Form: graphics , 1801-1850 , French , study
Deputies swearing oaths 1791 Pen, ink and wash with black chalk, 490 x 600 mm Mus?e National du Ch?teau, Versailles Such an ambitious project as The Oath of the Tennis Court required an enormous amount of preliminary work and David filled two sketchbooks and many individual sheets with details and figure studies. He went to Versailles and drew the empty tennis court, and experimented with the poses of the deputies. As he had not witnessed the oath, he wrote little notes on his sketches to remind himself of how characters should appear, and which small but telling details to include: 'do not forget to show the deputies moved to tears and holding their hands to their eyes', 'remember to show the dust that was raised by the movement of the action' and 'remember the bell' (used not very successfully by Bailly to call the noisy and animated deputies to order). David saw the oath as a modern and greatly expanded version of the Horatii and the deputies became the equivalents of the heroes of antiquity. Author: DAVID, Jacques-Louis Title: Deputies swearing oaths Form: graphics , 1801-1850 , French , study