The French Revolution and a painter’s call to a nation to take side
Jacques Louis David’s masterpiece “Oath of Horatii”
Jacques Louis David was a major painter of the early 19th century and a tremendous influence on the French royal academy of Art, the French revolution and various French rulers. Most of all, David is famous for embodying Neoclassicism.
The Oath of the Horatii painting is one of his masterpiece, his first royal commission. Painted in Rome, it was an immediate international success as it was a major breakthrough in the Rococo Style, which dominated the 18th century.
Inspired by Roman history, and a play by Corneille, the painting showcases the dilemma the Horatii family had to endured to prevail against their neighboring kingdom of Alba. Rather than going to war, the two enemies decided to resolve their conflict by sending each three of their greatest warriors to a sword fight. The Roman chose three brothers from the Horatii family, the Albans chose three brothers from the Curiatii family. However, one of the Horatii sister was married to a brother of the Curiatti. Only one of the Horatti brothers survived the fight and came back victorious. His sister, however had lost her husband and was devastated, enraged by her reaction he kills her.
David’s painting depicts the oath the three brothers take on their swords swearing they will either win or die. The women are depicted as conflicted and crying in the background.
David embraces neoclassicism by using large heroic figures based on Roman art that are frozen in their pose (frieze like composition and strong contrast inspired by Greek vases). The architecture is also roman with the three columns. He is using very strong, crisp contours, a linear work (inspired by Poussin) with a sober, simple background and very little emphasis on colors. The composition is very geometrical with a diagonal light (Caravaggio) as well as strong verticals (columns) and horizontal lines.
David also echoes Diderot’s call for a new, more serious art and grand manner style by emphasizing the heroic attitude of the brothers and their virtue (exemplum virtutis) and showing the triumph of public duty over the personal family affairs.
This painting was an immediate success because of its historical and political impact. It was exhibited at the salon of Paris in 1785, only four years before the French revolution, there was a strong public call for choosing side. This painting is considered to be propaganda for the French revolution. In the painting, the heroic men chose side, while the women didn’t. The painting calls to stand up to the aristocracy and monarchy that live frivolous lives (depicted expansively in Rococo art) and encourages the country to take side with the suffering nation, to rise and sacrifice for an ideal. After the Revolution, David will be involved in politics and join the Jacobins (opposed to the Girondins) so he himself took side and voted the death of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette on the guillotine.
