Jacques-Louis David
This monumental painting was the last of Jacques-Louis David’s long career. Exiled from France in 1816 because he had voted for the beheading of King Louis XVI, and despite several attempts by his friends to get him back into the fatherland, the proud David chose to stay in Brussels until his death. The artist began this painting in 1821 and completed it three years later. In a surreal setting, a temple is seen floating in the clouds. Mars, the god of war, tacitly allows himself to be stripped of his weapons and succumbs to the charms of Venus. Around them are the Three Graces and, at Mars’ feet, Cupid is seen untying the god’s sandals. All the figures are nude and show no signs of embarrassment. There is delight in the sensuality and frivolity of the scene and David's love of theatre is evident. The contrast between the imposing dimensions of the work and the amorous subject—traditionally depicted in a small format—is, to say the least, surprising in an artist who had created a serious reputation for himself and whose historical paintings are always virtuoso in their perfection. Here he dares to break radically with his previous style in an ambitious work that surprises with its attempt to combine antiquity, idealism and realism.
We present today's work thanks to The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
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P.S. Did you know that Jacques-Louis David painted the most famous murder scene in art history? Read about it and several other gruesome paintings.