ROMANTIC AND NEOCLASSICAL ART (Essay Sample)

Romantic and Neoclassical Art Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Course Number and Name Instructor’s Name Assignment Due Date Romantic and Neoclassical Art “The Death of Marat” or “La Mort de Marat or Marat Assassiné” (oil on canvas) in French is a Neoclassical Painting by Jacques-Louis David. The painting is among the renowned works of the French Revolution. The image comprises a journalist named Jean-Paul Marat who lies dead in a bathtub. Charlotte Corday killed him. David created the piece in reflection and tribute on the events and death of his friend. Marat suffered from a skin condition that made him spend most of his time in the bathtub. However, Charlotte came to manipulate him through promises to conquer the Revolution and stabbing him. This is evident from the note being held during his death. The image is both idealized and accurate as it depicts the events that occurred at the crime scene. The death can be associated with political murder as Marat was not meant to see the ending of the French Revolution. According to Clegg (2014), Charlotte did not escape after the scene; hence, she was charged and executed by a guillotine. Marat can be perceived as a martyr and a hero who died in his line of duty. The painting depicts various features at the scene, including a rag, the bathtub, some papers, and a pen. The image is idealized because Marat is not perceived as having any imperfections. One of the revolutionary elements surrounding the painting is that Marat was the martyr of the French Revolution (a period between 1787 and 1799). Furthermore, the painting was made in 1793, a period amidst the French Revolution (Glover, 2014). Furthermore, the painting was made in the same year of the death of Marat. David also utilizes some of the elements from classical antiquity but combines them with some modern features. The painting primarily depicts Marat and not Charlotte, evidence that David was more interested in his friend than the criminal in the case. The fact that the knife is on the floor with blood on it is proof of his admiration of his friend. Jacques-Louis David was a French painter who primarily created his pieces in the neoclassical style. He was also an active supporter of the French Revolution. In his painting profession, he could primarily use Venetian colors in the unique Empire style. His personality also depicted his revolutionary career as he was sensible, temperamental, enthusiastic, and independent. Besides the events of the French Revolution, he also worked on the propaganda involved, an experience that hounded him. David joined politics and would depict some political events of the Revolution in real-time through art. For instance, he was the deputy in the National Convention in 1792 (Silvia, 2010). He passed on in 1825 while leaving his studio. The painting reflects the typical values and characteristics of neoclassic art. Firstly, neoclassicism reflects the 18th and 19th centuries. “The Death of Marat” was painted in 1793, a French Revolution and Neoclassical art period. The values reflected in neoclassicism exhibited in the painting are order and solemnity. Order is perceived as representative of the events that happened during the killing of Marat. There is also some solemnity associated with neoclassicism because the painting communicates the feelings of David towards his friend Marat. “The Death of Marat” also utilizes sober colors. These include a black hue, which communicates mourning. There is no illumination by colors in the picture as most of the areas are depicted with covers of night, which depict an environment of death. The image also encompasses shallow space, as evident by its two-dimensional feature. Furthermore, there is no depth in the image, typical of neoclassic art. Besides, David uses the clarity of form, making it easier for the audience to perceive every object within the picture without a puzzle. As such, David is clear in communicating the death of Marat by depicting the objects within, including the knife, the pen, the paper, Marat's image, ...