25/9/06 - History of Art - Jaques-Louis David: Style and the State

David, 1748-1825.

1. Stylistic change. Rococo mid-18th to neo-classical Europe 1780-1830. Importance in style.

2. French revolution, 1789. Radical politics. Republican. Napoleon. To what extent did David develop his own style, or shape it on politics?

Relationship between artist and society.

Mars and Minerva - a Rococo painting. Soft, sensual forms. Rich colour. History painting (top of hierarchy of genres). Conventionally classical mythology, history and Bible. Moralistic - "an example of virtue". Must be intelligent to understand the painting. Composition is complicated, lots of figures, telling a story. Next in hierarchy, portraiture. Portraits of kings, noble. Genre painting (everyday life). Then still life. Vulcan and Venus.

Classical art of ancient Greece in 18th century. Looking back on the classical arts. Authoritative architecture. Classical content. 1775-1780 studying at Rome. David's Belsarus shows a new image of painting. No sentiment. Poussin's work is very orderly and is deep.

David was commissioned to paint The Oath of the Horatii, a typical neo-classical piece. Background harks to a theatrical stage. Clear stage. Dramatic lighting. Architecture, repetition and order. Depicts Roman republican family. Gender differences. It set a new stylistic tone. Revived. Idealised awareness of classical. David's favourite pupil adopted his style.

Death of Socrates. About sacrifice. Socrates about to drink hemlock. Similarity to Poussin.

Rococo portrait. Elegant, virility, grace. Le Voissier and his Wife. Neo-classic. Bougoire. Shows devotion of woman, work of the man.

Paris and Helen contains some Rococo style.

Brutus' Sons Returned. Stern, austere. Shallow space. Dramatic poses. Gaze drawn to grieving women, then to feet of corpse, then to Brutus. A successful painting, popular.

David turned against Royal Academy. Elected member of National Convention. Politics, depicted Marat murdered in his bath (studied medicine at Edinburgh). Marat at work, no scabs (he had a skin disease), David implies religious similarities. David painted this at height of political career as republican.

Arrested due to connection with convicted Robespierre. Painted self-portrait in prison.

After prison, he painted Intervention of the Sabine Women depicting women preventing Sabines taking them back as wives; they want to stay with their kidnappers the Romans. Muted tones, controlled figures. Could depict the political battle between republicans and royalists. Post-revolutionary painting.

Ingres, a pupil of David's, took his neo-classic style from Greek vases. So his pupils personalised and developed his style.

David became painter of Napoleon. Neo-classical Bonaparte Crossing the Saint-Bernarde Pass. Napoleon strong but calm against muscular horse, dramatic mountain in background. Adapted art for political propaganda.

David's painting of Napoleon being crowned. Propaganda.

Leonada's painting. David returns to history painting of classical period. At time of painting, Napoleon was under attack from Britain, Russia, etc.

David lived in exile in Brussels as revolution quashed. He had signed death warrant of king and self-imposed this exile.

Ambitious. Opportunist. Gave dominant messages through his paintings. Public - needed to be seen. Their response. Societal response.

Art inseparate from history.