The “Oath of Horatius” is considered to be a masterpiece of David both in the neoclassical style and in the absolute description of duty. A canvas measuring 330 centimeters in height and 425 centimeters in width was begun in Paris, but was completely written in Rome in 1785.
Legend
The plot was a theme from the history of ancient Rome. The Horace brothers volunteered to fight in a duel with the brothers Curiazii from the city of Alba Longo. The duel was required so that in the irreconcilable struggle of the cities their armies would not suffer, which were necessary to repulse the Etruscans, who plagued the raids of both cities. The confrontation could weaken these cities so much that the Etruscans could easily conquer them. Therefore, two armies were to meet on the field, and the battle of six opponents decided the outcome of the battle. In the very beginning, two Horace died immediately, and three Curia were wounded. Applying the trick, Horace, who remained unharmed, began to run away and took turns cracking down on his opponents who were catching up with bleeding blood. So Rome won the battle.
Family matters
The Horace brothers were bound by kinship with opponents. The sister of the brothers was the bride of one of the Curiacians, and the wife of the older Horace was the sister of his enemies. Tied by such strong marriage ties, the characters of the picture swear to their father that they will either win or die, which magnifies their patriotic feelings. The oath of Horace is the personal invention of David.
In France, there are suggestions that he was a freemason, and therefore was inspired by a spectacular oath using swords that express the idea of ​​courage and pride.
Compositional triangles
The “Oath of Horace” is all made up of triangles and the number “three,” which has always been considered a symbol of perfection and stability: the divine symbiosis of three Christian entities, mythological three graces, three fates ... So here: on each side there are three brothers, three groups of characters on picture, three arches in the background.
Three brothers took a stable position of the triangle. It shows the strength and unity of both the group as a whole and the stability of each of them. A father carries three swords to his sons. And finally, on the right, three women are presented to the viewer in three rows. In the background, a woman in black is the mother of Horatiev, who soothes two grandchildren.
Line stability
The “Oath of Horatius” immediately underlines with a central horizontal line the section between the left part with male figures and the right one with female ones.
If men with outstretched arms are full of determination, strength and patriotism, then the female lines located below the central line are all broken. They, weeping and suffering, as if collapsed, crushed by grief. The oath of Horace is directly embodied by characters drawn in strict and straight lines, the heroes rise above the composition, which makes their act heroic in contrast to women who do not approve of their actions and are located much lower and curvilinear.
Perspective
Like on stage, builds perspective Jacques-Louis David. The oath of Horace is brought in a Roman villa, which has an aristocratic appearance. Three vertical vaults with columns correspond to each of the three groups of characters that are symbolic. These symbols are “supported” by architecture and, therefore, are similar to a proclaimed oath. A floor consisting of rectangular panels is an important element of balance. His dark expanded elements under his father’s feet are the starting point for the composition, which ends with the hand of his father holding three swords.
Placement of heroes
It is strict and does not allow any accidents. One of the brothers is highlighted by Jacques Louis David. “The Oath of Horatius” provides an opportunity to consider its position.
- The viewer sees his powerful back, his right hand raised for an oath, and his left, which holds a spear.
- The hands of the other two brothers are also raised, they seem to expect that their father will hand over the swords to them secondarily.
- The most eloquent detail is the vanishing point of the views of the brothers and father, especially the brother in the foreground. This is again a form of the triad that unites the son, father and the Eternal City. Perhaps it is this one of Horace who will survive the battle.
Colors of the picture
Men are dressed in bright colors, which again should emphasize their masculinity, at the same time, the artist chooses dull colors for women's clothing, which cause a feeling of lethargy, sadness and inability to act. The most noticeable in the male group is red, expressing their strength, desire for battle, courage. White in this case can be understood as a symbol of divine purity, as well as a mission entrusted to the brothers by his father, city and gods. As for the blue, it symbolizes wisdom, virtue, faith and peace. And again, the brother standing in the foreground is in the focus of the viewer's attention. Since the time of Henry IV, the guards were dressed in these colors, then they crossed to the flag of the French Revolution. This Lafayette created the tricolor as the new national colors. Therefore, the painting “The Oath of Horatius” played the role of a “connected” between the past of the country and its future and was at that time a “beacon”, a symbol of the French Revolution.
Shine
The dramatic effect is produced by the light set by David. He uses the techniques of Caravaggio.
Shadows are introduced hard, contrasting, but as the spotlight the main characters stand out with light. This technique of symbolic emphasis is most often used when working with religious subjects. That is, when Horace takes an oath, it becomes as if sacred. David uses this method to enhance the civilian sound of the picture.
Thus, we can consider the canvas "The Oath of Horatius." The description of the picture, as complete as possible, was given above.