The Oath of the Horatii

Jacques-Louis David

Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, 1784
By KATHERINE GRABOWSKY

From the vibrancy of the red cloth to the shadows illuminating the powerful muscles of the parallel arms, the second I laid my eyes on this painting, the intensity became apparent. Just like how the passion and emotion sparks a fire of motivation in me while I read about David's accomplishments and my brightly-lit clock shows that a new day has rolled in, Jacques Louis David wanted this painting to spark a revolution in the minds of the moderate citizens who did not feel much for change. Jacques Louis David took his career past art and developed an interest in politics and societal transformation. Don’t just understand the revolution, but be willing to die for your country, pleads David through this painting of martyrdom.

The passion and strength of the men contrasts the despair of the women on the side. As with history, love always brings a twist. Not only do the Horatii brothers pledge their allegiance to Rome, but a sister of one of the brothers is in love with a rival member. “Boy meets girl until boy is killed by girl’s brother in a Roman war” creates a whole new dimension to this revolutionary painting. This woman is forced to choose between her brother who she has grown up with, or her true love who she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Contradicting this painting, Robespierre writes in his “Republic of Virtue,” that, “men of all countries are brothers, and the different peoples must help one another.” David’s painting shows three brothers chosen as representatives to fight until the death against another city’s men. If men of all countries are brothers, the men in the painting are clearly doing something wrong. Do not kill your enemies, but embrace them, says Robespierre, (though, I’m sure the many people guillotined by Robespierre would oppose his loyalty to this statement).

The men in this painting stand for martyrdom and dying for your country, something David respected. In 1794, David even created a ceremony for two martyrs, Barra and Viala. He organized the chain of events for the ceremony, creating a moment of silence followed by a unanimous cry of “They have died for their country!” three times. Then, at the end of the ceremony, the despair turns into rejoicing as the people cry out, “They are immortal!” David felt this martyrdom needed to be appreciated as a sign of love for their country and their people. This painting signifies David’s respect for martyrdom and the impact he felt this had on the revolution. While the focus is on the center of the painting, the will of the men to die for their country on one side, and the despair of the women illuminated by the light on the other side, draw in human emotion.

The Oath of the Horatii changed the ways of revolutionary paintings and created a new kind of art. Not only does David’s painting tell a story, but it also commemorates. For all the martyrs who have died for their country, he pledges allegiance. This painting lasts through the ages.
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The Oath of the Horatii

Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatii, 1784

Jacques-Louis David, propagandist extraordinaire of the French Revolution, painted The Oath of the Horatii five years before the actual beginning of the French Revolution. So, why then, did it become such a huge symbol of the republic to come? A neoclassicist, David's paintings often depicted Roman scenes with an anti-frivolity that greatly contrasted to the Rocco movement that had occurred only a short time before. One of such scenes David emulated in The Oath of the Horatii. The Horatii were Roman warrior triplets (similar to that of The Powerpuff Girls) who pledged their lives to fight the enemy, the Curiatii from Alba Longa. Whoever wins the fight, wins the war. In the end the Horatii win, but only one out of the three survives, Publius. The victor with an unfortunate name and destiny, returns only to commit sororicide. His sister, one of the lamenting women in the background of David's painting, was engaged to one of the Curiatii. Publius was sentenced to death for his actions, but justified it by stating, "So perish any Roman...who mourns the enemy." In a way, couldn't that be said for the Reign of Terror as well?

"To arms, citizens," La Marseilles urges. "From your battalions, let's march, let's march! Let an impure blood water our furrows!" Written in 1792 and eventually adopted as the new Republic's national anthem in 1795, La Marseilles is a literal call to arms, which is everything this painting embodies and more. Although painted five years before the actual start of the French Revolution, The Oath of Horatii elicits a deep-set devotion to a cause. The Horatii reach for the swords as the French did for freedom, yet, at the time, were still unable to grasp them in their hands, nor hold them above their heads in victory. It's as if David paints both a warning to the aristocracy and a calling to the oppressed. In essence, that's what David did do. He would go on to become the painter for men such as Robespierre and Marat; a producer of propaganda. The Oath of the Horatii embodies the ideals of the French Revolution, a dissolution against monarchy and tyranny, but also demonstrates how flawed such ideologies were.

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