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The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon

author:Miss W chats

The power of art

Today I will share a piece of Jacques-Louis David's work - "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784, during the chaos of France, when Napoleon had just entered the Paris Military School, the French Revolution had not yet broken out, and Louis XVI did not know that he would end his life in a very tragic way nine years later. In the face of the dark tide of French politics, Louis XVI longed to raise the morale of his people through a praise of heroes and the greatness of the royal family, so there was this work that can be seen in the Louvre today, and David did not create exactly according to Louis XVI's wishes, he quoted the very famous story of the Roman period - the Horace brothers, to tell everyone that for the interests of the country, for the survival of the nation, there are always heroes who stand up and sacrifice themselves without fear, David depicts the brothers of Horace (three men on the left) solemnly swearing in front of their father - "Win or die".

A brief introduction to the story of the Horas brothers, when Rome was at war with neighboring Albalonga, and the opposing boss proposed to use a duel to determine the victory and defeat to reduce the manpower loss caused by large-scale wars. Coincidentally, the other party's three brothers and the three brothers of Horace were cousins, and one of the brothers was also married to the sister of the House of Horace, but they both vowed to do everything to make national honor the supreme pursuit. In the end, the Horas brothers, representing Rome, won, but only the younger brother survived, and when he returned in triumph, his sister was angry that his brother had killed his fiancé and scolded him, Horace killed his sister in a fit of anger, and finally his father interceded to absolve his brother of homicide. This story is to preach the heroic importance of the country, and the subordination of personal emotions to the interests of the country.

In this work, David uses the architecture behind it to perfectly divide the picture into three parts, and the composition is balanced, with a heroic sworn man on one side, a father who is about to send his son on war in the middle, and a woman and child in pain and grief on the other. The rendering of red clothes highlights the bravery and fearlessness of the brothers, while the sad women on the right are rendered in softer tones, and the sharp contrast highlights the drama of the picture.

Such a work, far more touching than those pretentious Rococo at the time, was sought after by the whole people as soon as it came out, and also established an unshakable position for neoclassicism. If you have the opportunity to go to the Louvre, please remember to stop by the 702 hall of the Denon Museum, and I was struck by the magnitude when I first saw the painting.

The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon
The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon
The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon
The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon
The Power of Art Today we come to share a piece by Jacques-Louis David, "The Oath of the Brothers of Horace". The painting was born in 1784 during the chaos of France, the year of Napoleon

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