The Death of Marat (David)

I've developed a very strong interest in the French Revolution, through this famous painting (The Death of Marat) by neoclassicist painter Jacques-Louis David, who was part of the political movement to restore the Republic in France. Art is usually a response to social and political influences in any given period, so it is only fair that I fell into this particular period of political history through art.

What first struck me about this painting was its minimalism and the great use of sculptural qualities: the definite lines of the objects and precise form of the human body. David's use of light and contrast is also critical, even if it seems subtle (reality is subtle!). There is of course a narrative here: read up on Marat, to understand his role in the Revolution and his murder by a female spy. Here, David makes Marat a Christ-like figure, a martyr, and bestows on him a certain majestic quality that forever seals his 'great sacrifice' for country. Of course, David's work can, in fact should, be considered propaganda of Robespierre and the Jacobins, and this may possibly be the most famous propaganda painting of all-time, but don't quote me on that.