Patroclus by Jacques-Louis David of 1780

This early Neoclassical work by Jacques-Louis David was created in 1780. It is now displayed in the Musee Thomas Henry in Cherbourg, France.  Jacques-Louis David was born in 1748 Paris and was the foremost of the French Neoclassicists, in the opinion of many critics.  His efforts were very influential in turning tastes from Rococo towards the realistic depiction of historical scenes, which was the hallmark of Neoclassicism.  Orphaned at an early age, Jacques-Louis David was raised by prosperous uncles who begrudgingly allowed him to attend the Royal Academy.  On his fourth try, David won the Prix de Rome in 1774.  He went to Italy the next year and avidly drank in all the classical images and was overwhelmed by the art in Pompeii.  From this point, David was devoted to the “eternal concepts” of the Classics.

Returning to Paris in 1780, David was quickly recognized as a genius, if an eccentric one.  He was given lodgings in the Louvre at royal expense and married a rich heiress.  He was commissioned to paint Oath of the Horatti and he went to Rome to do so.  Returning to France, David joined in the political discussions which were rapidly moving the kingdom in the direction of revolution.  Jacques-Louis David continued to produce revolutionary art in the Neoclassical manner until his death in 1825.

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