At the beginning of the 19th century, Neoclassicism was the dominant art form of Europe. Neoclassical artists studied nature and the art and literature of Ancient Civilizations to extract basic truths about beauty and honor. By utilizing themes and styles from the ancient Greece and Roman Empires, Neoclassicism emerged in the later 18th century as part of a general revival of interest in classical cultures. The Neoclassicism movement in art encompassed painting, sculpture, and architecture. It was particularly appealing during the French and American Revolutions which was not coincidental considering these cultures had traditions of liberty, civic virtue, morality, and sacrifice. The movements serious, orderly character, reflected in sculpture …show more content…
David involved with the revolution through the radical and militant faction of the Jacobins. He took on the role of de facto minister of propaganda, organizing political pageants and ceremonies that included floats, costumes, and sculptural props. David stepped away from the norm of creating works of antiquity and began to portray scenes from the French Revolution. The Death of Marat is one such work and served not only to record an important event in the revolution but also to provide inspiration and encouragement to the revolutionary forces. Jean Paul Marat, a revolutionary radical, a writer, and David's personal friend, was assassinated in 1973. David depicted the revolutionary after he was stabbed to death in his bath by Charlotte Corday. David vividly placed narrative details - the knife, the wound, the blood - to sharpen the sense of pain and outrage to confront viewers with the scene itself. The Death of the Marat is convincingly real, yet it was composed masterfully to present Marat to the French people as a tragic saint who died in the service of their state. It was designed to inspire viewers with the saintly dedication of their fallen