David, Jacques-Louis

French painter. One of the greatest of the neoclassicists, he sought to give his art a direct political significance. He was an active supporter of the republic during the French Revolution, and was imprisoned 1794–95. In his Death of Marat (1793; Musées Royaux, Brussels), he turned political murder into classical tragedy. Later he devoted himself to the newly created empire in grandiose paintings such as The Coronation of Napoleon (1805–07; Louvre, Paris).

David studied in Paris and then in Rome, drawing the Roman statues and familiarizing himself with the main figures of the Renaissance. Between 1775 and 1785, inspired by his work in Rome, he evolved his strikingly neoclassical idiom. An important picture from this period is The Oath of the Horatii (1784; Louvre, Paris), a work in which he set out to rouse Republican patriotic fervour.

After the death of the Jacobin leader Robespierre, David was twice imprisoned and narrowly escaped the guillotine. His The Rape of Sabine Women (1799; Louvre, Paris) is dedicated to his wife, whose calls for clemency helped to secure his release.

When Napoleon came to power, David became his official painter, creating such imperial images as Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1800; Louvre, Paris) and Napoleon Distributing the Eagles (1810; Versailles). David's major works also include portraits, one of the finest being Mme Récamier (1800; Louvre, Paris).

His style, which was inherited by several of his pupils, most notably Ingres, dominated French painting in the first half of the 19th century.