Analysis Of Oath Of The Horatii By Jacques-Louis David

Art allows us to communicate more than just mere logic; it allows us to move people emotionally, and influence change throughout the world. Jacques-Louis David was a 19th century painter who is considered to be the father of neoclassicism, the movement of art away from the old rococo style. David was a strong supporter of the French Revolution, and a close friend to Maximilien Robespierre, the leader of the Jacobins, a revolutionary group, of which he too was a member. The French Revolution was the overthrowing of the absolute monarchy led by King Louis XVI from the years 1789 to 1799. The revolution came to an end in late 1799, when Napoleon Bonaparte took power. Jacques-Louis David used his artwork as political propaganda, to reflect the

This historical piece depicts a Roman legend of 7th century BC, in which there was a battle between the Romans and a nearby town of Alba. Instead of a full-scale war, the three Horatii brothers were chosen by the Romans to defeat the trio of brothers chosen by Alba, the Curiatii. The three brothers, all willing to sacrifice themselves for Rome, swore upon the swords presented by their father, and proclaimed they would not come back until they defeat the Curiatii, and restore the happiness of Rome. In this painting, David used the three brothers to represent the three estates of the Ancien Régime. The Oath of the Horatii is a direct parallel to when the National Assembly took the tennis court oath. Before the meeting of the Estates-General, and eventual declaration of the National Assembly in 1789, the estates were not fighting for France as a whole, instead they were fighting individually for the prosperity of their estate alone. During the oath, the estates had finally come together and decided to represent France as a unity, rather than a separated nation. In Oath of the Horatii, the sons coming together showcases that they too will fight for Rome as a unity, similar to the way the three estates