Summary
Highlights
Jacques-Louis David's "The Death of Marat" is a revolutionary painting in two senses: it was painted during the French Revolution (1789-1792) and depicts a contemporary event. David, a member of the radical Jacobin Club and a close associate of Robespierre, was deeply involved in the Revolution. He signed documents for the execution of aristocrats and served in the Revolutionary government, dissolving the Royal Academy of Arts and acting as a minister of propaganda.
The Revolutionary government commissioned David to create images that would heroicize new martyrs for the Revolution, replacing traditional Christian martyrs. This shift from religious to political martyrdom signified the dismantling of the monarchy and church, and the rise of a new republic where people participated in government. The painting underscores this new ideology, echoing the American Revolution's influence.
Marat, a key figure in the Revolution who disseminated revolutionary ideas as a publisher, was murdered by Charlotte Corday, a royalist. Corday tricked Marat and stabbed him in his bathtub, a detail vividly depicted with the knife and the letter she used for entry. David portrays Marat as an innocent victim, working for the republic, contrasting his nobility with Corday's duplicity.
David idealizes Marat's physical appearance, omitting signs of his skin disease. Marat's pose is reminiscent of the Pietà, elevating him to a Christ-like figure, a martyr for the Revolution. The painting also reflects the Revolution's secularization of French life, replacing the old world with a new rational order. David's inclusion of "Year Two" in his signature on the crate signifies the new Revolutionary calendar, emphasizing the break from the past.
The Enlightenment's emphasis on rationalism and empirical observation is evident in the painting. David's meticulous attention to anatomy, contours, and light, characteristic of Neoclassicism, is seen in Marat's body. The painting's stark and sparse interior starkly contrasts the luxurious Rococo style, reinforcing the republican ideals of simplicity and virtue that Marat supposedly embodied.
Despite the enduring power of "The Death of Marat" as a Revolutionary statement, David's later career raises questions about his principles. He was imprisoned after the Revolutionaries turned on each other, and later became First Painter to Napoleon. This shift has led art historians to debate whether David truly believed in the Revolutionary ideals or if he was a politically mercenary artist seeking commissions from those in power.