Monday Morning Museum: Jacques-Louis David

Self-Portrait, 1794 by Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David – Tuesday 30 August 1748 Paris, France to Thursday 29 December 1825 Brussels, Netherlands

French Neoclassical Painter

The Death of Socrates, 1787

“In 399 B.C., having been accused by the Athenian government of impiety and of corrupting young people with his teachings, the philosopher Socrates was tried, found guilty, and offered the choice of renouncing his beliefs or drinking the cup of hemlock. He died willingly for the principles he held dear. Here he gestures toward the cup, points toward the heavens, and discourses on the immortality of the soul. The picture, with its stoic theme, has been described as David’s most perfect neoclassical statement.” – Metropolitan Museum of Art

Last Monday’s Artist – Frederic Edwin Church
Next Monday’s Artist – Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci

“Monday Morning Museum” logo created by Adrean Darce Brent