History Creator / JacquesLouisDavid

* PatrioticFervor: All his revolutionary activities was driven by it. It must be noted that David did not suffer at all before the Revolution. He was a popular, wealthy and highly successful artist, yet he risked everything because of his committment to the Revolution. His vote to execute the King even estranged him from his devout Catholic wife(they reconciled when he was imprisoned during Thermidor). Years later, in his exile, he reflected on his political committment with bitterness:

* He also appears as a main character in the comic book ''The Sky Over the Louvre''.

* He appears in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity''.

* He appears in ''VideoGames/AssassinsCreedUnity''.

A Jacobin and a close personal friend of UsefulNotes/MaximilienRobespierre, David was imprisoned after the latter's downfall and his activity on the Committee of General Security(which oversaw executions during the ReignOfTerror) made him fall out of favor. He was rescued by the Rise of Napoleon. David was fascinated by the General's Meditteranean appearance (which he likened to Antiquity) and started work on several works that built Napoleon's legend. Napoleon for his part, was quite willing to overlook the fact that it was David who signed the death warrant of Alexandre de Beauharnais (Josephine's first husband), unintentionally clearing the way for him. Although Napoleon only sat once for a David portrait, David had a skilfull enough grasp of his features to create the most iconic images of his Legend, whether it's [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Crossing_the_Alps#mediaviewer/File:David_-_Napoleon_crossing_the_Alps_-_Malmaison1.jpg Napoleon Crossing the Alps]], [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Emperor_Napoleon_in_His_Study_at_the_Tuileries#mediaviewer/File:Jacques-Louis_David_-_The_Emperor_Napoleon_in_His_Study_at_the_Tuileries_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg Napoleon in his Study]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coronation_of_Napoleon#mediaviewer/File:Jacques-Louis_David,_The_Coronation_of_Napoleon_edit.jpg the Coronation]]. Napoleon, a fellow ex-Jacobin, also remembered David's skill in organizing Republican Pageants, and tasked him with to stage the festivities of the Coronation as well.

Jacques-Louis David (30 August 1748 – 29 December 1825) was a UsefulNotes/{{Fr|ance}}ench painter, and the most prominent and influential of his age at that.

David was born into a wealthy family and his talent and passion for drawing was noted and nurtured from a very early age. He apprenticed with several major artists, but already he began to revolt against the then-dominant Rococo style. Rococo or often described as "late Baroque" can be described as a sugary-sweet, sentimental approach to painting, where the idea was to glory in curves, filigree and all kinds of joyful forms. The paintings were aimed to provide a feast for the senses and several examples of great art came in this period, such as the paintings of Antoine Watteau (whose landscapes inspired the real-life gardens landscaped by aristocrats). Neoclassicism was meant as a revolt against this artificiality. This meant not a return to the grandeur of Rome but a return to the virtues of UsefulNotes/TheRomanRepublic, emphasizing stern, stoic commitment to [[PatrioticTropes patriotism]] and civic good.

As a [[TheKingslayer regicide]], David was exiled upon the Bourbon Restoration and settled in {{UsefulNotes/Brussels}}. There, he trained several painters. His work fell out of style but was revived in the middle of the 19th Century, especially for his Revolutionary Output which is regarded as his best work. His iconic images adorn the Louvre Museum and has inspired several major artists in the years to come.