Art History Survey 4
ArtHistory Survey
ArtHistory Survey
Inthe Jacques-Louis David: The Oath of the Horatii painting, it isevident that this is one of David’s finest art. It showcases thesignificance of the French technique of painting. The painting wascommissioned in the year 1784, and displayed in the year 1785 by theRoyal Residences administrator (Khanacademy, n.d.). The paintingdepicted a period when Rome was at war with Alba, and it was decidedthat two groups of three individuals will fight to end the war.
Davidevidently highlights the passion of the three ladies in the pictureby transforming the virtues of the women into somethinginspirational. By choosing to paint the scene where all the threebrothers were taking an oath by bowing down to the upheld words, thepainting transformed the occasion into a somber act. The oathpresented bonding of different wills of the brothers into one,through an impressive creative gesture.
Asone vies the painting, there is a spontaneous attraction to twooverlaying orders of the displayed décor and the figures. There arethree separate groups in the painting, each with a specific purpose.The ladies on the left of the painting display tearful anguishthrough the looks on their face, the three brothers in the rightdisplay strength in numbers and vigor through taking the oath, andthe elder Horatius is displaying power in the center.
Thedécor in the painting is displayed in an abstract order throughmassive arches and massive columns. The archways in the paintingrepresent the three parties in the painting. The introspectiveatmosphere is calmed down by the applied shades of red, pink, brown,and green, which are used very discreetly. Through the efficient andrigorous arrangement, David was able to achieve a finer harmony ofthe used colors, the figures spiritual density, and transfiguring theoath, formed a new moral and aesthetic orde. The painting highlightedDavid’s use of the innovative neo-classical style that utilizedideal forms, dramatic lighting, and gestural clarity.
Reference
Khanacademy.(n.d.). David, Oath of the Horatii (video) |Khan Academy [Videofile]. Retrieved fromhttps://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/monarchy-enlightenment/neo-classicism/v/david-oath-of-the-horatii-1784