The Death of Marat
Factual Information:
From:
Period: 1793
Period: 1793
General Information:
This painting of Marat by Jacques-Louis David was very important during the French revolution. The image became an immortalization of both Marat and David. This piece was a moving testimony to what could be shown when an artist puts their political convictions directly into the work. The work creates a political martyr of Marat, who was assassinated. He was depicted with all the marks of his murder in an extremely idealized way. Marat was practically a leader of the Revolution, calling on people to be executed because of various things, whether they were not dedicated to the revolution or various other things he thought they may attempt to do. David represented him as writing for the good of the people, and in a style of a Christian Martyr. Marat became a martyr of the revolution, a inspiration for the people. His proportions are still in tact, and the painting is logical in the same way as other Neoclassical paintings of the time.
Why This Artwork?
This artwork was chosen because of the impact it had on the French people, and the importance of the artwork on history, as well as the Neoclassical values associated with it.