Simon Schama's Power of Art - Episode 04: David - The Death of Marat

Description

This time Simon rather uses the works of the iron-monger's son, orphaned at 7 by a duel and trained by a famous relative, Boulanger, in the art of 'bonbonniere' paintings to the taste of the aristocracy, as illustration of a fairly elaborate sketch of the road to and trough the French Revolution rather then the other way around. David incurred a permanent jaw-mark which marked his face, speech and social skills, rather estranging him from his patrons and the Royal Academy, despite his ultimate success. After expensive French support to the American Revolution contributed to rising poverty and outcry for change, David soon espoused the cause of the revolution, even becoming a member of the legislative Convention, in the ranks of the fanatical publicist Marat, whose slaying by a moderate revolutionary he portrayed masterly, and tyrant Robespierre, the incarnation of political terror by guillotine whose head ended up like 'last' king Louis XVI's, David even rises to chief of its visual propaganda. After the collapse of the republic, David turned coat to become Napoleon Bonaparte's court-painter, only after the royal Restoration he was banished and forgotten, 'exiled' in Brussels (Belgium).

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