may 5, 1789 - The French Revolution

Description:

The Death of Marat (David, 1793)

In mirroring Caravaggio’s Entombment scene, especially in how Marat’s hand hangs loose in the foreground, David presented Marat as a martyr, a Christ-like figure who had given his life for the new civic “religion.” The painting is in the Neoclassical style; simple earth tones are employed and the focus is on line and composition. David refuses to sensationalize the scene, the wounds are quite small and not emphasized, the weapon lies in the corner in darkness. An emphasis on what is evident to the sense of vision, without any exaggerations was in conformity with the Enlightenment spirit that was responsible for the revolution. That is not to say the painting is wholly historically accurate; Marat was David’s friend and David took considerable creative license in his depiction of the scene, especially in downplaying the extent of Marat’s skin condition.

Added to timeline:

Date:

Images: