J.L. David – the founder of neoclassicism
The weakening of the influence of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture on the artistic process took place not without the participation of the famous French painter Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). He believed that in the academy, the artist, being forced to “submit to the generally accepted routine,” cannot be free in the choice of forms and methods of creativity. At first, David himself learned the basics of craftsmanship at the Royal Academy, rightly noting that at best only “skilled artisans” can emerge from it, but not great masters.
Although David began as a rococo adherent, his name in the history of painting is associated with French neoclassicism. After the pampered and frivolous Rococo, according to Charles Baudelaire, he returned to French art “a taste for the heroic.” This was largely facilitated by his participation in competitions for the Rome Prize, which gives the right to a retirement trip to Italy, where the opportunity opened up to study the masterpieces of ancient art. While in Rome, he devoted most of his time to drawing antique statues and reliefs, as well as copying paintings by Italian masters.
The great Raphael will become his teacher and idol for all his life. It was here that he discovered the beauty of ancient art, which later shaped his own style.
David returned to France as a completely different artist. In his works, solemnity and grandeur appeared, they became more strict and journalistic. In Antiquity, David drew not only inspiration, but also a reflection of the revolutionary spirit of our time. It was no accident that the public called him “the most advanced and daring painter” of his time. In his work, he managed to combine reality and the ideals of the classics. His elements were heroic images, strict, incorruptible, ready to sacrifice their happiness for the sake of the Fatherland. Brutus, Socrates, Horace embody this type of ideal person, worthy of imitation by his contemporaries.
The painting “The Oath of the Horatii” is a true manifesto of neoclassical painting, the embodiment of its aesthetic principles. In 1780, David received an order for a historical painting that was supposed to “revive virtues and patriotic feelings.” In the antique plot, he really managed to convey the patriotic mood that gripped society on the eve of the Great French Revolution. The picture was enthusiastically received by the public and was perceived as a symbol of struggle, a call to overthrow the royal power.
The plot of this work was suggested to David by Corneille’s play “Horace”, which dates back to the ancient Roman legend of the 7th century. BC e. It told about the struggle of two clans (Horace and Curiaciev), who contested the primacy of Rome. Three brothers, the sons of Horace, were to enter into a deadly duel with their childhood friends and relatives (one of whom was engaged to the sister of the Horace). As conceived by the author, the picture was supposed to reveal the irreconcilable and tragic contradictions between civic duty and the personal feelings of people.
Events take place in the courtyard of an ancient Roman house. Three brothers, ready to conquer or die in the name of the Fatherland, take the oath of duty and loyalty to their father. Three identical, embossed profiles, a swift gesture of hands outstretched to arms, convey the feeling of a single aspiration and determination to go to battle in the name of the triumph of justice. The father blesses his sons for a feat of arms and seals their oath. They will indeed win, but the price of such a victory will be too high …
On the right are the sisters of the Horace. The fight has not yet begun, and they are united by a common grief, grieve for their loved ones, because they know in advance that whatever the outcome of the battle, one will lose her groom, and the other will lose her brother. The weak-willed and passive postures of women indulging in silent grief only emphasize the firmness of the brothers’ intentions. In the soft and flowing outlines of the female figures, the flowing and flowing lines of the robes, the unyielding will of the brothers to victory is even more clearly visible. The muted golden gray and white tones of women’s clothing were intended not only to contrast with the dominant red in men’s clothing, but also to highlight their willpower and determination. Nothing should distract the Horatii from the main thing, no one can turn them away from their choice.
The painting “The Oath of the Horatii” was painted in strict accordance with the artistic principles of neoclassicism. The appeal to the historical genre, the allegorical and edifying plot, the use of antique paraphernalia, the clarity and laconicism of the style, the contrast of colors, the harsh drawing create an image of a harsh struggle, so clear to contemporaries preparing for the revolution. It is no coincidence that the picture was perceived as an example of devotion, self-sacrifice, heroism and high morality.
The work is distinguished by the rational organization of the space, the logically clear construction of the composition. The symmetry is achieved through the carefully thought-out arrangement of the characters: in the center – the father of the family, on the right – the grieving women, on the left – the sons. The balance of the composition is created by the figure of the father with a raised hand, which is the apex and lateral line of the triangle (a characteristic feature of the compositional construction of many works of classicism). The brothers’ hands represent the opposite side of it. A three-span antique arch breaks up the space of the picture, focusing the audience’s attention on three figurative groups. Antique columns and arches in the background give the composition a monumentality, and the gradation of light and shadow emphasizes the clarity and expressiveness of the silhouettes.
In this work, David paid tribute to the classicist manner of Poussin, like him, who was looking in Antiquity for a way to reveal the eternal laws of beauty. The artist expressed his ideal of antique beauty in the contrast of rhythms and gestures, in antique symbolism (drawing of crossed arms and swords, perceived as a symbol of the greatness and justification of the sacrifice). Passion for painting by Poussin was especially reflected in some coldness and theatricality of the poses of individual characters. For example, the elder Horace, who leaned back in pictures and fixed his gaze to the heavens.
It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this artist’s work. For a long time, he determined the main directions in the development of artistic processes in France. It was with him that the rebirth of French art began and the departure from the old, obsolete principles. The name of David is associated with cardinal changes in the evolution of the style of classicism, he led the movement of neoclassicism and was its largest master. The work of this artist is already on the threshold of romanticism and is sensitive to the realistic aspirations of his time. David had a huge impact on the formation of many artists.
