Marat Assassinated

David's Marat Assassinated, 1793

                Marat Assassinated by Jacques-Louis David forever immortalized the power of revolutionaries during the French Revolution. Organized social and political dissent to Louis XVI began with the meeting of the Estates-General in 1789, where the Third Estates’ lack of political rights, specifically the lack of the right to vote, became apparent when dealing with the economic meltdown that inflated taxes in ridiculous proportions (Duiker 495-96). Consequently, the First and Second Estates, comprised of the aristocracy and clergy, refused to allow the Third Estate, the remaining populous political equality; the representatives of the “nation” formed the National Assembly to counteract the corrupt system of monarchy (Duiker 496-97). This act of rebellion spiraled into a revolution where the once distinct aim of establishing national by means of enlightment transitioned into Robespierre’s Reign of Terror, which saw the unjustified deaths of countless citizens (497-499). Marat, a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution, was a central public figure in France as well as affiliating with Robespierre and the Jacobins (Boston College). On July 13, 1793, Charlotte Corday killed Marat in his home (Jean Paul Marat). 

                David’s portrayal of Marat’s assassination is considered a masterpiece for several reasons. The incorporation of neo-classicism’s definitive themes of violence, sacrifice and commitment conveyed David’s artistic message. Violence is first depicted through the bloody, gaping wound that punctures Marat’s chest. Blood seeps down his chest, travels to his arms, and stains the white fabric and papers held in his left hand. David also includes the weapon of death, the knife, in the lower left corner; it is saturated in his blood. Marat’s death demonstrates sacrifice and commitment as he slumps in his bath dead, still clutching documents and a quill. These tools not only symbolized Marat’s method of participation in the Revolution, but also the way in which enlightened philosophers were able to spread their treatises to the general public (Duiker 480). Marat’s face, body, and desk are bathed in a saintly light with chiaroscuro, emphasizing the nobility of his life’s pursuit; David depicts Marat as a political martyr (Gombrich 485). Moreover, David uses death to represent the love that Marat had for his work and for France. 

                David’s Marat Assassinated is a tribute to not only the memory of Jean Paul Marat, but also to the precepts that he died for. David argues that death, dealt by the unforgiving knife of Charlotte Corday, irrationally robbed a nation of its beloved leader without regard of the negative consequences that would affect society in the future. 

Works Cited

Duikier William J. and Jackson J. Spielvogel, eds. World History. 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomas Wadsworth, 2007.

Gombriech, E. H. The Story of Art. New York: Phaidon Press Limited, 2008. Print.

“Jacques-Louis David.” Wikipedia. 20 Apr 2011. Wikimedia Foundation. 30 Apr 2011.

“Jean-Paul Marat.” Wikipedia. 20 Apr 2011. Wikimedia Foundation. 20 Apr 2011.

Pioch, Nicolas. WebMuseum, Paris: David, Jacques-Louis. BWM Foundation. 14 Jul. 2002. Web. 19 Apr 2011.

“The Death of Marat.” Wikipedia. 14 Apr 2011. Wikimedia Foundation. 30 Apr 2011.