The Power of Politics

Artist: Jacques-Louis David

Title: The Death of Marat

Date: 1793

Medium: oil on canvas

Provenance: Brussels, Belgium

Source: bc.edu

Describe: This painting depicts a man holding a letter while in bed. He is bleeding and some of the paper is stained with blood. He looks pained and one of his hands lies limply by the side of the bed holding a quill while the other clutches a letter. 

Analyze: David highlights the suffering face of Marat and the letter he is holding to create emphasis on the drama and emotion in the scene. The blood is bright red to draw attention and all of the lines are soft and realistic looking. The dark background contrasts brilliantly with the light hitting Marat's face and his position seems as though he slowly fading, painfully. Marat had been murdered because he was a leader of the French Revolution  and David wanted to stir up anger passion in the revolutionaries. The rough texture of his bed sheets was meant to emphasize his lack of recognition, recognizing his lack of luxury even though he was a leader who died for the cause. The value scale ranges from harsh brights to dramatic darks and the blood red is some of the only color in this painting.

Interpret: This work is meant to honor and exemplify the heroism of Marat. His agonized, almost Christ like appearance is dramatic and still awe inspiring. This would have been just the thing needed to rally the French revolutionaries under the unjustified and cruel assassination of their leader Marat. 

Judge: This work does a fantastic job of acting as propaganda. It's well made, extremely realistic if a bit dramatic and very heartfelt. Marat and David were apparently good friends and David wished to use Marat's death to fulfill Marat's dream of over throwing the French monarchy.