Jacques-Louis David and "Oath of the Horatii"
Description/Abstract/Artist Statement
ABSTRACT
Jacques-Louis David, according to traditional scholarship, painted the Oath of the Horatii to rally the French to the Republican cause and to forsake the monarchy. Conversely, some have argued that David was motivated by money, seeking and accepting royal patronage. While both of these hypotheses have their merits, missing from the discussion is an element of the personal, the place of the work in the artist’s biography. I believe that Jacques-Louis David was rebellious and had the politically conscious intention to personally dismantle and remove the monarchy, even going so far as to abet multiple murders. A review of David’s many acts of personal rebellion and his involvement in the French Revolution reveals that his intention with the Oath of the Horatii was possibly the comparison of his own life with the Horatii brothers, France is the father figure, and the monarchy is the unseen Curatii rivals. David’s intent was to paint his personal oath to the French people to defeat, or in this case, dismantle the monarchy for the sake of the French people.
Faculty Advisor/Mentor
Professor Martha Wyatt, Dr. Jared Benton
Faculty Advisor/Mentor Department
Department of Art
College Affiliation
College of Arts & Letters
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Disciplines
Other History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology
Session Title
Art History 3: New Interpretations & Connections
Location
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
Start Date
3-25-2023 12:00 PM
End Date
3-25-2023 1:00 PM
Jacques-Louis David and "Oath of the Horatii"
Learning Commons @Perry Library, Room 1306
ABSTRACT
Jacques-Louis David, according to traditional scholarship, painted the Oath of the Horatii to rally the French to the Republican cause and to forsake the monarchy. Conversely, some have argued that David was motivated by money, seeking and accepting royal patronage. While both of these hypotheses have their merits, missing from the discussion is an element of the personal, the place of the work in the artist’s biography. I believe that Jacques-Louis David was rebellious and had the politically conscious intention to personally dismantle and remove the monarchy, even going so far as to abet multiple murders. A review of David’s many acts of personal rebellion and his involvement in the French Revolution reveals that his intention with the Oath of the Horatii was possibly the comparison of his own life with the Horatii brothers, France is the father figure, and the monarchy is the unseen Curatii rivals. David’s intent was to paint his personal oath to the French people to defeat, or in this case, dismantle the monarchy for the sake of the French people.