Jacques Louis David

- Blurb -

The first major exhibition catalogue to focus on Jacques Louis David' s drawings and their crucial role in his iconic history paintings made before, during, and after the French Revolution Jacques Louis David' s (1748-1825) paintings are among the most iconic in the history of Western art, but comparatively little is known about the artist' s nearly 2,000 drawings-from quick chalk sketches scribbled in notebooks to exquisite ink compositions enlivened with oil paint-that formed the basis of beloved masterpieces such as The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates. Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman is the first major publication to focus on the often years-long process of trial and experimentation that progressed from initial idea to finished canvas. Including several recently discovered drawings published here for the first time, this book provides a new perspective on the celebrated master. Essays by international experts on the artist explore how David' s preparatory works on paper reveal the development of his creative process, while also bearing witness to the tumultuous years before, during, and after the French Revolution. As both a participant and an observer, David helped establish the new French society while documenting the drama, violence, and triumphs of modern history-in-the-making.