Jacques-Louis David - Essay Example

Jacques Louis David played a vital role in the French Revolution through his propaganda paintings that instigated loaded ideas designed to create a notion on the necessity of toppling the monarchy. His painting depicting Brutus ordering his sons’ death was credited for the beheading campaign of the royal family. But his definitive work is the painting ‘Death of Marat’ that features the propagandist assassinated in his bath. This painting ultimately led to fuel the fire of the hunger of the people and justifies a new government.

Jean-Paul Marat is one of the leaders of the French Revolution described to be a hysteric. He was many things but his most prominent contribution is his publication, “the Friend of the People” which regularly condemns the government and politicians. His death was used by the revolutionists to maintain the ideals of the movement and to capitalize on his death for such purpose. Marat was killed by Charlotte Corday who gained entry to his home pretending that she has a list of traitors in lieu of the executions that he vehemently supports.

In terms of style, it is evident that David is deeply inspired by Caravaggio with the use of the Roman imagery in his art imbued with the political atmosphere of France. The disposition toward the scenes that are predominantly religious in character is perceptible in David’s painting as it was in Caravaggio’s. Like Caravaggio and his paintings of martyrdom, Caravaggio used this technique to depict Marat as a martyr of the Revolution.BibliographySierra College Art Videos - David. Simon Schama.

BBC, 2006. Sierra College Library. Web. 06 Nov. 2011. .