Welcome to a new episode of Appreciating Art Wednesday
The Oath of the Horatii (Le Serment des Horaces) by Jacques-Louis David is one of the most emblematic paintings of Neoclassicism.
Historical Context
• Date: 1784 (commissioned by King Louis XVI, exhibited in 1785 at the Paris Salon).
• Artist: Jacques-Louis David (1748–1825), leading painter of Neoclassicism.
• Inspiration:
Instead of going to war in 669 BC, the rulers of Rome and Alba decided to resolve the conflict with a battle between three champions from each side. Alba brought the Curiacean brothers. Rome opted for the Horatii. The drama of all this is that one of the Curiacean sisters is married to one of the Horatii, and one of the Horatii sisters is going to marry a Curiacean. There we have them, on the right side, crying, because whoever wins, one of them is going to lose. But the important thing here is to fulfill one's duty in the face of emotions, family ties, or even death. 1 Before the battle, the Horatii swear before their father to defend Rome until death. The theme connects with the French pre-revolutionary spirit, exalting civic virtue, duty, and sacrifice for one's country.
Characteristics and Visual Structure
• Style: Neoclassical, clear lines, balance, symmetry, inspired by Greco-Roman art.
• Dimensions: Monumental, approximately 3.3 x 4.25 meters, making it a "theater" of Roman virtue.
• Composition:
- Three classical arches in the background divide the scene into three parts:
- On the left, the Horatii, standing firm, arms extended in oath.
- In the center, the father, holding the swords towards them.
- On the right, the women, collapsed in the
This organization conveys clarity and moral hierarchy. It ranges from the courage of the three young men as supreme, the father handing over his swords while looking to the sky, hoping the gods will bring his sons back alive, to the collapsed women, knowing that death is real.
• Contrasts:
- The men → rigid, vertical, geometric, representing duty and reason.
- The women → soft, curved, dejected, representing feeling and emotion.
• Color: sober, with a predominance of reds, ochres, and grays reminiscent of Roman frescoes.
Curiosities and fascinating details:
The feet of the Horatii have masterful details, a sign of dedication
Extreme dedication also to the detail of the clothes
Three women are weeping—one in the back and two up closer. The woman dressed in the white is a Horatius weeping for both her Curiatii fiancé and her brother; the one dressed in brown is a Curiatius who weeps for her Horatii husband and her brother. The background woman in black holds two children—one of whom is the child of a Horatius male and his Curiatii wife. The younger daughter hides her face in her nanny's dress as the son refuses to have his eyes shielded.
Legacy
• It is considered a masterpiece of Neoclassicism and one of the most influential paintings of the late 18th century.
• It served as a model of "history painting," shaping not only the aesthetic outlook but also the civic and political spirit.
• Today it hangs in the Louvre Museum, alongside The Raft of the Medusa and other key works in art history.
Footnotes
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The drama lies in the fact that one of the Curiatii's sisters, Sabina, is married to one of the Horatii, while one of the Horatii's sisters, Camilla, is betrothed to one of the Curiatii. Despite the ties between the two families, the Horatii's father urges his sons to fight against the Curiatii, and they obey, despite the women's complaints. ↩