Jacques-Louis David questions

Daniel Contreras
Professor James Entz
ART P112 CRN 32284
9 February 2011

Jacques-Louis David was born on the 30th of August, 1748 in France. As a child he was self contained. David searched for virtue in life up until he reached the age of seven, when his father was killed. Afterwards he moved in with his uncle who at the time happened to be the town's most famous painter. David's family urged him to pursuit being an architect or a lawyer but he knew that those weren't the right careers for him. David's life drastically changed after a fencing accident. His face was slashed by a sword which later on caused him to have a tumor like figure on his cheek. Afterwards he had trouble with his speech so many mocked and teased the way he sounded when he spoke. Like the narrator in the film said, both David's mind and face were marked by the blade.

Jacques-Louis David's composition Oath of the Horatti has remained renown amongst art critics and average art viewers alike for many decades. This piece contains a balance between two conflicting ideas: Stoicism and Grief. The focal point is the father (center of the image) standing in an erect stature. David's style in this work of art resembles the Roman Fighting class with the bold color of red. The figures to the right of the plane are cast in a smaller space. In proportion with the right, the left does not share as much light and space thus leading the directional forces away. The content this piece could be used as moral propaganda with its clear patriotism.

The most tragic yet beautiful piece by Jacques-Louis David is The Death of Marat. This composition is David's tribute to fallen friend Marat, whom was assassinated in his bathtub. The space and vast darkness beyond the dead Marat is apparent. You can almost feel the directional forces pulling your attention to the dead figure. One fascinating feature is the pose which is similar to that of the dead Christ. The image's content is a projection of the deep conflicting ideas that David struggled with.

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