Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David was considered the principle proponent of the Neoclassical style of painting in 19th century France. David perfected the art of history painting with his sharp imagery, use of vivid colors, and his preferred subject of classical scenes from Roman antiquity. His painting, The Oath of the Horatii, was exhibited in the Paris Salon of 1785. It was highly regarded and seen as an artistic revival that would put an end to the triviality of the Rococo period. David was very much involved in France’s political sphere; his most acclaimed works were those of his portraits of Napoleon, and the scenes from Roman legend that took on political significance—often drawing connections to the French Revolution.