Jacques-Louis David was a French painter born in Paris in 1748.
“I was always hiding behind the instructors chair, drawing for the duration of the class.”
He was born into a prosperous middle-class family, but his father was killed in 1757, and his mother left him to be raised by his uncles. He began studying art at the Académie Royale at 16 under the rococo painter J. M. Vien. After many unsuccessful attempts, he finally won the Prix de Rome in 1774. In Italy, he was strongly influenced by classical art and the classically inspired work of Nicolas Poussin, evolving his own neoclassical style. His famous “Oath of the Horatii” became a proclamation of the new neoclassical style, launching his popularity and awarding him the right to take on his own students.
- Born in Paris, France, on August 30, 1748.
- Studied at the Académie Royale under J. M. Vien.
- Won the Prix de Rome in 1774.
- Known for neoclassical paintings like “Oath of the Horatii.”
- Became Napoleon’s official painter from 1799 to 1815.
After 1789, David adopted a realistic style to record scenes of the French Revolution. He was elected a deputy to the National Convention and took his place with the extremists known as the Montagnards. He played both positive and negative roles during this period: he proposed the establishment of an inventory of all national treasures, making him one of the founders of France’s museums, and he played an active role in the organization of the future Louvre. However, he also signed nearly 300 arrested individuals to be guillotined. After the Revolution, he was imprisoned, but a delegation of his students demanded his release, and he was freed on December 28, 1794.
Near the end of 1797, he met Napoleon Bonaparte and became his official painter from 1799 to 1815, chronicling his reign in huge works like “The Coronation of Napoleon and Josephine.” Following Napoleon’s downfall in 1815, David was exilede to Brussels, where he returned to mythological subjects. He remained there until his death in 1825. Through out his career, he was also a prolific portraitist, with works like “Madame Récamier” showing great technical mastery and understanding of character. His career represents the transition from the rococo to realism, strongly influencing his pupils and paving the way for the romantics.