Jacques-Louis David (1748 – 1825), considered to be the preeminent painter of the era, was a French painter in the Neoclassical style.
As the premier painter of his day, David served the monarchy of Louis XVI, the post-revolutionary government, and the Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, despite the radical differences in these ruling regimes.
David’s style of historical painting helped end the frivolity of the Rococo period, moving art back to the realm of classical austerity.
Adopting the fashionable Greco-Roman style, the artist blended antique subjects with Enlightenment philosophy to create moral exemplars.
His linear forms dramatically illustrated narratives that often mirrored contemporary politics.
David’s earliest successes were iconic images of valor and noble deeds, commissioned by royal and aristocratic patrons, who adopted the classical style as the latest trend.
He also ran an important studio where his students would later rebel against his example, sowing the seeds of modernism.
The quintessential Neoclassical painter, David’s monumental canvases were perhaps the final triumph of traditional history painting.
More of Jacques-Louis David‘s exquisite paintings can be found at https://www.nga.gov/collection/artist-info.1212.html and https://www.biography.com/artist/jacques-louis-david.
Humoring the Goddess 