Jacques-Louis David (5 January 1794 – 20 January 1794) — is an outstanding French artist who painted in the style of neoclassicism. However, he became famous for his stormy social activities, which is worth only the death sentence of King Louis XVI at the meeting of the Convention in 1793. David sincerely shared the ideas of the bourgeois revolution in France, when the people, fatally tired of the injustice of the monarchical regime, decided to organize a republic. But only the revolution and the new order, built on terror, did not bring his ideologues anything good, because everything ended sadly for them - for example, Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday, who sneaked into his house, which gave David an excuse to write one of his best artworks “Death of Marat”. an outstanding French artist who wrote paintings in the style of neoclassicism. However, he became famous for his violent public activity, which is worth only passing a death sentence on King Louis XVI at the meeting of the Convention in 1793. David sincerely shared the ideas of the bourgeois revolution in France, when the people, fatally tired of the injustice of the monarchical regime, decided to organize a republic. But only the revolution and the new order, built on terror, did not bring his ideologues anything good, because everything ended sadly for them - for example, Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday, who sneaked into his house, which gave David an excuse to write one of his best artworks “The Death of Marat”.
Jacques-Louis David. Death of Marat.
Ironically, in 1784 it was for King Louis XVI that he wrote one of his best paintings - “The Oath of Horace”. Except that this picture resonated in the hearts of revolutionaries, that is, people just hostile to the king. But what is so special about it, why did it become so popular, what strings of the soul of the French revolutionaries hit and why even now delight our contemporaries? This is what we will talk about in this article.
Jacques-Louis David. The Horatian Oath.
When studying such paintings, it is important to know the plot, what it is actually written about. According to the legends of the historian Titus Livius, in the VII century BC seriously feuded residents of two cities - Rome and Alba Longa. They constantly attacked each other and fought internecine wars. But when there was a new much more dangerous enemy - the barbarians had to come to an agreement, and the way for it was chosen quite original, but quite in the spirit of the time, at least as historians like to describe and pass on folk tales. Three of the best warriors from each city were chosen, from Rome the brothers Horatii, from Alba Longa the brothers Curiatii.
In this painting, David depicted the moment of the Horatian brothers' oath before their father, where they promised to win or die. That's right - the stakes are too high, here the fight of a few men replaces the battle of many warriors, so the upcoming fight should be taken extremely seriously.
By the way, in the picture David very accurately summarized the psychology of the ancient Romans, not all, of course, but those who care about the concept of honor and military duty. Men must fight and there is nothing higher than that, even their own lives are less important. Women have only to accept this. Defense of the Fatherland is more important than anything else, but unlike nowadays, the majority of sensible people back then sincerely believed so and had good reasons for it, because warlike neighbors could make a complete pogrom with all the consequences - the destruction of all men who could fight back, and the stealing of women and children into slavery.
Nicola Poussin. The Abduction of the Sabine Women.
That is why the men in David's painting are extremely serious and do not allow even the thought of fighting not in full force, at least somehow to save themselves. Their wives are sincerely worried, they understand perfectly well - not everyone will return from that battle, and the injuries can be very serious, but they can only cry and pray to all the gods to preserve the lives of their husbands. The close family ties between the Horatii and the Curiatii add to the drama - the warriors are cousins, that is, brother will have to go for brother, and the wife of one of the Horatii brothers, who sits closest to the audience, is also the sister of one of the Curiatii brothers.
The Horatian Oath. Excerpt.
So she will probably have to mourn the death of her husband or her brother, or even both at once. In the middle sits Camilla, sister of the Horatio brothers. She is engaged to one of the Curiatzes, and in the far background is the brothers' mother with her two grandchildren. David painted her relatively young and beautiful, so, at first glance, she could well be mistaken for the wife of one of the brothers. But such is the peculiarity of academism and neoclassicism - embellishment of characters, the artist's sincere admiration for the beauty of the human body, so there old age and even maturity are depicted only when it is really necessary, especially when it comes to women.
Of course, both father and brothers understand perfectly well how the battle may end, they are tormented by understandable doubts, and there is little joy in that vow, rather a sullen determination to go to the end.
And then came the real tragedy. Only one of the Horatio brothers survived, all the others were killed. He returned to Rome with honors, the people sincerely triumphant and rejoicing - in their hearts, everyone understands that if there had not been that battle of six men, would have had to fight many soldiers and losses would have been catastrophic. And so it is enough to honor one hero. And then his brother saw his sister Camila weeping for her dead fiancé. He gave in to serious anger - how can you weep for an enemy when the whole Roman people are celebrating victory? He drew his sword and killed his sister.
Fedor Bruni. The death of Camilla, Horace's sister.
By law, he should have been executed. But his own father spoke in his defense, he asked the court to acquit his only remaining son, who managed to put love for his homeland above love for his family. I wonder, how would now officially assess the deed of that brother Horace?
David in his painting tried to contrast the masculine strength and duty of a warrior with the female grief. That's why the painting seems to be made of two parts. In the first, where men are - straight lines, hard looks, pompous, though somewhat theatrical poses, tense muscles, swords as a symbol of war and undoubted instruments of murder.
The Horatian Oath. Fragment.
The female half of the painting is a representation of boundless grief. The lines there are fluid, flowing, and the women are all seated, emphasizing their subordinate position. Their clothing is somewhat more faded and the interior is typically masculine.
David was certainly not an innovator of the detailed artistic device of combining opposites in one painting and building a contrast between them. He could have seen something similar in Titian, for example, in his painting of Danai and the Golden Rain.
Titian. Danai and Golden Rain.
On the left is the beautiful Danaë, painted in bright colors, as if flooded with light, on the right is the maid, dark, ugly, making a striking contrast with Danaë. It is as if the struggle of light and darkness, good and evil. Titian was an excellent colorist, and this painting once again proves this thesis.
David's painting became a landmark and innovative for French painting, a kind of starting point. Before that there was a frivolous Rococo era, whose representatives were Boucher and Fragonard. And the paintings of those artists - soft, frivolous, sometimes even too much, on the verge of vulgarity and vulgarity, especially in modern terms, but they fully corresponded to the tastes of wealthy French aristocrats and the king.
François Boucher. Love Letter.
David's painting became prophetic, soon tragedy came to many French families, and brother went to brother - the revolution in France began. That is why it was significant for his contemporaries - David managed to predict the threatening events, to write a picture consonant with the era. And Russians, perhaps better than others, understand the horror of David's painting, when a beautiful oath is followed by a far from beautiful tragedy.
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