Oath Of The Horaii By Jacques-Louis David

The French Revolution began with the Neoclassical period, where artists favored work that looked as realistic as possible and tried to minimize the appearance of brush strokes. After the brief Rococo period which featured more delicate and playful forms, artists were looking to return to more intellectual and traditional work. The Age of Enlightenment brought new recognition to ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture. This Neoclassical period called for realistic paintings with attention to drawing and line (Zygmont, n.d.). Figures have sharp, defined edges and subjects were commonly taken from ancient stories.

With the French Revolution happening, artist Jacques-Louis David drew on an event taking place more than 2500 years earlier in

David may have been trying to relate portions of his work to the French Revolution; as you can see in the painting, brothers are going off and being celebrated by their families as they fight for freedom. However, it also depicts the tragedy of war and potential loss of life as the women cry in the corner, afraid that their loved ones might not return. The idea in Oath of the Horaii that personal sacrifices must be made for an ideal and better future is one that directly connected to the French Revolution.

Later, as the Romantic period began to rise, artists were showing an increased preference for color over line; they weren’t afraid to show paint strokes in their finished product, and drew more from the more watery and asymmetrical style from the Rococo period than

Neoclassical styles (Neo-classicism & The French Revolution, n.d.). The subject of art was also changing – rather than taking inspiration from classical themes, artists were increasingly looking to current political and world events. When thinking of the French Revolution, it's hard not to envision the work of Eugène Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People.

The painting was completed the same year as the July Revolution, which it