The artist, who in his works reflected all the stages of the political life of France, was also a prominent public figure who was actively involved in the revolutionary movement. The founder of neoclassicism was sensitive to all the changes taking place in society, and new generations of artists continued to develop the direction in painting that he laid down.
Short biography of the creator
The great Jacques Louis David, whose paintings brought him fame, was born in Paris in 1748. At the age of 18, he entered the Academy of Fine Arts, where his mentor was Joseph Marie Vienne, a renowned painter at the time, now unjustly forgotten. He instills in the young man a love of classicism and rococo and demands the achievement of “truth and greatness” in his works. David, carefully studying the work of Michelangelo and Raphael, wants to be in Italy to improve his skills in the cradle of the Renaissance art. Having received the award as the best student of the Academy, in 1775 the young artist goes to a country with a rich culture.
In Italy, he communicates with lovers of antiquity, who introduce him to great masterpieces, and the admiring painter, admiring the talent of ingenious sculptors and artists, admits that "he fell asleep from his eyes." Jacques Louis is not trying to imitate the works of ancient masters, but is looking for his own way: “I understand how imperfect my style is, and I am ready to go a lot to get closer to the truth. I need to strive for the level of Raphael. "
Artist and revolutionary
Returning to France, critical of his work, Jacques-Louis David, whose paintings evoke ambiguous opinions in society, is actively involved in the revolutionary movement. He adjoins the radically minded Robespierre and Marat, votes for the death of King Louis XVI, and after the Thermidorian coup, he himself goes to prison for his views.
When Napoleon comes to power, the former revolutionary takes an active part in political life and becomes an ardent admirer of the emperor, making him the first French artist and court painter. After the overthrow of Bonaparte, Jacques Louis flees to Brussels, where he dies in 1825, leaving behind about 500 students.
Expression of the views of the author
The art of the creator evolved along with his style and expressed the aesthetic views of the artist. He conveyed in his paintings the essence of the ideals of ancient Rome and Greece, telling of self-sacrifice and virtue. The artist abandoned complex angles, an excess of distracting from the essence of the work of detail and a picturesque background. As if bringing his characters to the theater stage, the glorious light of the famous Jacques-Louis David directed them.
Pictures, whose ideas were hatched by the creator for a long time, appeared in silence and peace, away from human fuss. All antique images were not detached heroes for the painter, and the choice of subjects was not subordinate to fashion trends.
The work, which became a turning point in the work of the master
It is interesting to talk about the canvases, the creator of which personally participated in revolutionary actions, and in his works you can see not only the ideological justification of the events, but also the sacrifice that the rebels paid. What did Jacques-Louis David, who had seen with his own eyes, wanted to tell about?
The painting “The Oath of Horatius” appeared in 1784 and laid the foundation for a new style - revolutionary classicism. She brought unprecedented success to the author, using many of the techniques characteristic of the direction.
Background of the bloody battle
The artist talks about what preceded the historical battle that took place between the brothers Horace from Rome and the Curia from Alba Longa - losing its influence the main city of the Italian Union.
Two villages fought for leadership, but such a feud could not last long. According to historians, the winning city was to be determined after the decisive battle of the valiant warriors. In a bloody battle, one of the Horatius brothers survived, and Alba Longa obeyed all the requirements of Rome. Having learned about the historical battle, I decided to convey the sense of patriotism of young people Jacques-Louis David.
“Oath of Horatius”: description of the painting
The author captures the very moment when a father blesses his children in a mortal battle, holding out their swords. Three brothers, whose thoughts are devoid of doubt and contradiction, swear to defend their homeland. They realize that they can die, but enter into battle, believing in the triumph of justice. It is interesting that the opponents of the Romans are their childhood friends, but this fact did not prevent Horace from dealing with them. The great genius Jacques Louis David, whose description of the paintings makes it clear to the viewer what an incredible talent he possessed, to the right of the brave warriors portrayed a group of grieving women who understand the inevitability of the loss of loved ones.
The mother of glorious heroes gently hugs her grandchildren, the sister of the brothers sits right there - the bride of one of the Albanians, bowing her head to the sister of the opponents - the wife of one of Horatii. The artist showed not only a willingness to sacrifice, but also the personal experiences of desperate women. If brothers and father are depicted as the main characters, then mother and sisters are secondary characters that complement the composition.
In the background, Jacques-Louis David, whose paintings reflect the values of the Enlightenment, placed three arches, corresponding to groups of figures of brothers, women and father, giving arms to his sons.
Light is directed at the main characters to show their significance, and the background of the picture is tinted so as not to distract attention from the brothers ready for battle. Suffering women show strong emotions, and strict men only do their duty.
Canvas that strengthens the spirit of man
The line of heroic classicism was continued by the painter's new work, which appeared in 1787. It is necessary to talk about the philosopher unjustly sentenced to death before describing the painting "The Death of Socrates." Jacques Louis David became interested in the fate of an ancient Greek hero who drank poison with an unknown composition. The philosopher who made a lot of enemies and decided to come to terms with fate was accused of "disregarding the gods."
On the canvas, Socrates addresses his students with a farewell word. One hand is raised up, and the other reaches for the vessel with poison, but does not touch it. And this gesture is considered key, it gives the impression of a stopped time and declares the immortality of the human spirit, because the teacher, passionate about his speech, forgets that he has very little left to live.
The scene is solemnized by characters whose movements and faces read special greatness, as well as their location along the front plane of a grandiose canvas called genius. On the eve of the revolution, Jacques Louis David, whose paintings make everyone think about the eternal, tried to strengthen the spirit of the French by the example of the incredible stamina of Socrates accepting death.
New time - new style
The artist painted not only paintings on historical subjects, he created a huge number of portraits that are stored in various museums. The founder of a new direction in art transferred unique skills to his many students, however, the neoclassical style quickly went out of fashion. After the overthrow of Napoleon, he too reminded of the bloody events that occurred in the history of France. He was replaced by a softer, meeting the tastes of the new authorities, style of David's disciple - Jean Auguste Ingres.
In our article, we examined the biography and main paintings of Jacques Louis David (the names of the recognized genius did not have any problems - they clearly convey the essence of each work). One can only admire the unique talent of a genius whose workshop has become a real cradle of French art.