David Summary and Reviews

David
by Simon Lee

David
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Book Summary Information

Author: Simon Lee
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-11-03
ISBN: 0714838047
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Phaidon Press

Book Reviews of David

Book Review: A Painter of the Revolutionary Spirit
Summary: 5 Stars

Jacques-Louis David falls in and out of favor among critics and artists alike. But few can deny the impact that this rather frail man had on the times in which he lived. His life, as well outlined by Simon Lee, was full of major and minor tragedies: his failure to gain the prestigious Prix de Rome made him decide to starve himself to death until he finally was awarded the coveted prize in 1774, he was imprisoned for his allegiance to the French Revolution, he was physically challenged by a distorted face that affected his speech, etc. He was absorbed by the magnificence of the manner in which the Italian masters depicted man and he elected to move into this 'neoclassicism' arena to raise the public opinion of the common man at odds with the reigning royalty, thus being one of the early champions of the Revolutionary movement in France - and subsequently across the globe. His political convictions created an alliance with some tragic figures such as Jean Paul Marat and Robespierre and even Napoleon Bonaparte, each of these figure he portrayed in multiple famous paintings.

PHAIDON traditionally provides small scale but well produced biographies of artists and this is no exception. The generous sampling of David's paintings is richly saturated with color and the annotations provided by Simon are correct and well researched. This may not be the definitive volume on this important artist, but it is a fine introduction to a tragic hero whose dramatic changes in both art and political history are worthy of study. Grady Harp, March 11

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