A Picture by Jacques Louis David

Author(s): Bryson Burroughs

Source: The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin , Jun., 1931, Vol. 26, No. 6 (Jun.,
1931), pp. 140-144
Published by: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3256127

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 BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

the
thepurposes
purposesof the
offounders
the founders
in the light
inofthe lightA PICTURE
of BY
present and future needs led him also to JACQUES LOUIS DAVID
counsel and actively to support the co-
operation now existing between the Metro- The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis
politan Museum and the industries. The David' is one of the four paintings generally
same clear thinking gave him a deeply sym- classed as the artist's masterpieces. The
pathetic understanding of the interrelations Oath of the Horatii, 1783 (Louvre), and our
of the museums of the country and of their newly acquired work, 1787, are the out-
relations to the societies and other organi- standing productions of his earlier years;
zations working in the interests of art. He the Marat Assassinated, 1793 (Museum of
was among the first to realize the necessity Brussels), represents his art in the midst of
of placing objects of art on the free list in the Revolution; and the Crowning of Napo-
the tariff, a matter which touches all lovers leon, i810o (Louvre), his later style under
of art as well as museums, and among the the Empire. A period of twenty-seven years
most active in the struggle to accomplish of tumultuous history separates the last
this end. from the first. During these years, to a
In his relations to the staff of the Muse- degree unsurpassed since the Middle Ages
um Mr. de Forest occupied a unique posi- (at which time the sole purpose of art was
tion. Not only did he act as counselor and to serve the practical uses of life), David's
friend to those who carried their problems pictures reflect a general state of mind and
to him, but he discussed his own ideas with the emotion of an epoch. All works of art,
members of the staff in an intimate and of course, will reveal the particulars of the
helpful manner. By all of them he will be civilization they proceed from, but since
greatly missed.
the Renaissance, when pictures began to
Mr. de Forest's personal contributions be looked upon as finalities in themselves,
toward the growth of the Museum collec-no paintings have corresponded to the
tions have been very valuable. Because ofideals of their time as clearly and closely as
those of David.
these he was elected a Benefactor in 1920.
Most modern artists have held them-
A notable example of his generosity is the
selves aloof from active affairs. David, on
Indian room from a Jain temple, given by
him and his brother, Lockwood de Forest. the contrary, lived in the very midst of
The American Wing, which he and his wife, mighty events. During the last years of the
Emily Johnston de Forest, gave in 1922,monarchy he was the follower of those who
stands as a monument to his thoughtful prepared the way for the republic: the
painter of patriotic subjects for the Constit-
concern both for early American art, espe-
uent Assembly in 1790; the designer and
cially industrial art, and for the develop-
director of the great solemn festivals which
ment of the particular form of installation
here exemplified, which involved a newin those days of exaltation once again as-
sumed their antique importance; a deputy
museum problem.
To Mr. de Forest's prolonged and deep
in the Convention in 1793 who voted the
interest in the Museum, to the continued death of Louis XVI; a colleague and de-
voted adherent of Robespierre during the
study he made of its requirements and its
Terror. Throughout the Revolution until
possibilities, and to his active fostering of
the fall of Robespierre politics was his major
its interests is due in large measure the
activity. Under the Directorate his political
place it has come to fill today in the com-
munity and in the country.
career was quieted, and in resuming his
H. W. KENT.
normal affairs he was still in accord with
the prevailing mood. He welcomed the
dominance of Napoleon, and later became,
by right and choice, the official painter of

1 Oil on canvas; h. 51, w. 774 in. Signed: L.

David; also initialed L D and dated MDCCLXXXVII.
Wolfe Fund, 193 . Room of Recent Accessions.
I40

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 THE DEATH OF SOCRATES BY JACQUES LOUIS DAVID

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 BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

the Empire. He executed pictures of its political and social as well as to artistic rea-
ceremonies, designed its costumes, and sons. The Oath of the Horatii was exhibited
directed its fetes. Although he lived on un- in 1785, when revolutionary fervor was
til I825, with the return of the Bourbons seething. The whole paraphernalia of
in i81 5 his great work was finished. It is aseighteenth-century art-dimpled goddesses
though his artistic life were mystically uni- and shepherds in silks and finery, courtly
fied with the Revolution-as though his gallantries, over-pretty color-had become
destiny were solely to be its spiritual por- hopelessly outmoded and tawdry. The ear-
traitist. nest people awaiting the dawn of the era of
The Classical Revival which his name justice, equality, and brotherly love hun-
has come to typify was well under way gered for an earnest art and they found
when he reached manhood. Pompeii and their ideal in this stern and manly picture
Herculaneum were first excavated in 1747, of the Horatii, celebrating heroic self-
the year before he was born. By the time sacrifice. It was greeted like the fall of
he had begun his studies Winckelmann's manna in the wilderness! From the day the
History of Ancient Art, Lessing's Laokoon, Salon opened David was acclaimed the
and Lord Hamilton's book on Etruscan painter of the new dispensation, and forth-
vases had already been published, and with the leadership of the new school was
Raphael Mengs, the German artist, was imposed upon him.
already imitating in his pictures what he Following this success he had in mind
believed to be the style of antique art. another picture based on the story of the
Vien, David's master, although his paint- Horatii, but its execution was interrupted
ings hardly bear out the fact to twentieth- by a commission-the commission which
century eyes, was counted as one of those resulted in the picture which is now ours.
in sympathy with the new movement. The M. de Trudaine ordered it, prescribing its
pictures painted by David before his Ro- subject-Socrates surrounded by his disci-
man stay are quite in the manner of Vien ples, receiving the fatal drink from the ser-
and in approximate accord, as a matter of vant of the Eleven.2 It was a theme which
fact, with the Louis XV style as exemplified David himself might well have chosen.
in the works of Boucher. Philosophic heroism was as appropriate to
It was during his five years in Italy, 1775 his enthusiasm as the patriotic heroism of
to 1780, that the direction of David's 2 The account of the death of Socrates occurs
talents became definitely fixed; by the time in the Phaedo, the dialogue that took place be-
he returned to France he was well along on tween Socrates and his disciples on the day of his
his path. His development had taken place death. It may be convenient to quote here the
famous passage which is the text for our picture.
with quiet and steady progression, and Phaedo is speaking to Echecrates: "And Socra-
although he was well considered by his tes, seeing the man [who brings the poison], said:
masters and his fellows no one recognized 'Well, my excellent friend, you are skillful in this
matter: what am I to do?'-'Nothing,' said he;
his enormous potentialities. Indeed his pic-
'but when you have drunk it, walk about till your
tures are not so uniquely different from legs feel heavy, and then lie down. The drink
some others then being produced as we will do the rest.' And at the same time he offered
might suppose, looking back from our far- the cup to Socrates. And he, taking it, said very
removed viewpoint. The new style was the calmly (I assure you, Echecrates, without trem-
bling or changing colour or countenance, but, as
product of the stir of the times rather than his wont was, looking with protruded brow at the
of the originality of any one artist. The man), 'Tell me,' said he, 'about this beverage; is
theory had been widely discussed and the there any to spare for a libation; or is that not
allowable?' And he replied, 'We prepare so
appearance of the new style as it took grad-
much, Socrates, as we think to be needed for the
ual form was well prepared for. David him- potion.'-'I understand,' said he; 'but at least it
self claimed no originality for his work; he is allowable and it is right to pray to the Gods
was not an innovator, he declared, only a that our passage from hence to that place may
renovator. be happy. This I pray, and so may it be.' And
as he said this, he put the cup to his lips and
His first great success, as might be drank
ex- it off with the utmost serenity and sweet-
pected considering these facts, was dueness."
to Translation by William Whewell.
142

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 BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

the Horatii. He set to work with a will and parting at night to meet again in the
finished the picture within two years. The morning!
Socrates represents a higher achievement In David's early drawings for the picture
than the Horatii, its ordinance being clearer Socrates is shown holding the cup which
and more unified, and the balance between the attendant has handed him. The gesture
the intellectual content and the purely pic- shown in the painting is due to the sugges-
torial aspect being more nicely observed. tion of the poet Andre Chenier (who him-
In the judgment of all the critics who have self, in a few years' time, was fated to die
recorded their opinions the composition of as stupid and as useless a death as that of
the Socrates is the most successful the Socrates). He is quoted as having said, on
artist ever made. being shown the drawings, "No, no! Socra-
It was a tenet of David's that each figure tes, entirely occupied with the great
in a picture should be treated as an inde- thoughts he is expressing, should stretch
pendent unit and then combined with the out his hand towards the cup, but will not
others in such a way that the spectator seize it until he has finished speaking."
could observe and dwell upon the charac- The picture made an immense sensation
teristics and expression of each. This was in the Salon of 1787. If its general popular-
the practice in the great periods of art to ity was not as uproarious as that of the
which David reverted, in distinction to the Horatii, its success of estimation was far
more impulsive style of his immediate pre- greater, the artists and connoisseurs prais-
decessors, in which the intellectual elements ing it as the supreme artistic achievement
(or, as they are called today, the literary and of the time. The gentleman who had or-
illustrative elements) were sacrificed to dered the work for the price of six thousand
dramatic and picturesque effect. Poussin francs increased the amount to ten thou-
in particular seems to have been his model sand francs, as a testimony of his satisfac-
in the designing of our picture. All its items tion. The opinion of Sir Joshua Reynolds, a
at each stage of its execution have been visitor to that Salon, has been recorded.
controlled by mind and will. The "magic "The greatest effort of art," he pronounced
hand of chance" plays but little part in such it, "since the Sistine Chapel and the Stanze
a work of art. Types, poses, folds of drapery of Raphael. This painting would have done
-every detail and accessory has been honour to the Athens of Pericles. Ten days
meditated upon and wrought out separately of observation have served but to confirm
and in relation to the whole. The head of the general idea I had formed, which is that
Socrates has been copied from the ancientit is perfect in every respect." This eulogism
bust portrait, the furniture from actual cannot be lightly dismissed as the mere
furniture David had had made, the dra- effervescence of contemporaneous enthusi-
peries from actual fabrics folded on the lay- asm. The great painter who made it was in-
figure, the people from nude models. Not dependent of the fervency in which both
"pure painting," we might say, but a work the picture and its popular appeal had their
nevertheless which grows on one and source, and his subtlety and discernment
repays long observation. Varying emotions as a critic of art have been acknowledged
are recognized in the figures about the without dissent from his day to ours.
couch-resigned or clamorous-the grief of The Socrates passed by inheritance from
those who sorrow in pity of him who is owner to owner for close to a century and
about to go and those who sorrow for them- a half, although on one occasion an effort,
selves in the departure of their friend, the a very distinguished effort, was made
compassion of the one intruder amongst towards its purchase. In I812, or there-
them, the man who brings the poison. A abouts, Napoleon tried to buy it for a
disciple, Crito perhaps, is eager with one prodigious amount. The incident is reported
more question which his master only of all by David's pupil and friend Delecluze,3
men can answer. Socrates himself, inspired
3 M. E. J. Delecluze, Louis David, son ecole
and magnanimous, is above grief. To the et son temps, p. 348. Paris, I855. This is a most
true philosopher death is no more than a vivid book in which David and people he came in
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 BULLETIN OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

probably
probably directly
directly
from thefrom
painter's
the
ownpainter's
our
our Museum,
Museum, own
with
withthe
theresult
resultthat
thatthe
the
pic-
pic-
words, and therefore worth quoting. ture
ture was
was sent
sent here
hereand
andpromptly
promptlybought.
bought.
"Speaking one day with his first painter,There There can
can be
be no
nodoubt
doubtthat
thatthe
theopportu-
opportu-
the Emperor said that he had conceived nity
nity was
was exceptional
exceptionalandandaltogether
altogether favor-
favor-
the project of uniting all his pictures in the able.
able. David's
David's portraits,
portraits,which
whichhehehimself
himself
Imperial Museum. 'There is a gallery of considered rather casually, somewhat in
Rubens,' he added, 'I wish that France the nature of pastimes, are now highly
may owe to me a gallery of David.' 'Sire,' prized; many have found their way to
replied David after thanking him, 'I believe America; one, a very charming one, to our
it impossible today to form such a collec- walls. But his great efforts, those ambitious,
tion. My paintings are too widely dis- pondered figure compositions which were
persed; they are in the possession of ama- hailed as the renovation of art and which
teurs who are too rich to hope that they mirror with such fidelity the sentiments
would part with them. Thus, for example, and aspirations of their momentous years-
I know that the proprietor of the Socrates, these are to a certain extent discredited.
M. Trudaine, lends a great importance to Their lack of popularity is a factor in hav-
the holding of that picture.' 'We will obtain ing made possible our acquisition of the one
it with gold,' said the Emperor; 'offer him work of the sort which remained in private
forty thousand francs, and go if it is neces- hands. It is not to be expected that the im-
sary up to sixty thousand.' . . . However, mediate appreciation of the Socrates will
notwithstanding the offers which were made be general. Many today are repelled by its
on several occasions and with many insis- austerity, by its smooth unaccented surface
tences to the proprietor of the Socrates, by and "tight" handling, by its didacticism
David himself, of forty and fifty thousand and sheer intellectuality. But others who
francs, he could not obtain it. 'This refusal can overcome the impediments of fash-
flatters me,' then said the painter, 'but I ionable taste and are able and willing to
must insist; I have the order of Napoleon. consider the temper and the circumstances
He has authorized me to go up to sixty which gave birth to the picture will appre-
thousand francs.' 'I refuse them,' he was ciate its true and lasting merit.
told, 'and I pray you say to Napoleon that BRYSON BURROUGHS.
I esteem your work above any price. If I
were to make this sacrifice, I would wish it
to be gratuitous.' It is added that when AN EARLY OAK CHEST
David made his report on the commission
with which he had been charged, Napoleon, An early oak chest is an additional gift
rising brusquely from his armchair, saidfrom the donor of the collection which was
crossly: 'It is necessary that I respect prop-exhibited in the American Wing from Feb-
erty; I can not force this enthusiast to aban-ruary I6 to May 3. The chest is shown this
don to us his mistress!'" month in the Room of Recent Accessions.
So the Socrates remained in private pos- The construction and carved ornament
session and it was not until lately that inof the chest indicate that it dates from
the necessity of settling an estate it cameabout 1650 or even earlier, but, since it is a
on the market. Through the good offices of provincial piece, it may have been made at
Walter Pach, the painter, now in Paris, theany time before 1700, as many forms per-
opportunity was called to the attention of sisted in use in remote districts after they
were outmoded in populous centers.
contact with appear as creatures of flesh and Before its acquisition for the Museum the
blood. Every page gives intimate glimpses into
chest had always been in the possession of a
the Paris of those far-off days; first through the
member of the Stratton family, whose an-
eyes of a boy during the actualities of the Revo-
cestor, Richard Stratton, appears first in
lution, then through the eyes of a student in
David's great bare studio in the Louvre, then of the
a records of East Hampton, Long Island,
young artist and close friend of the master, then
of a critic and writer. Few books on artists are in I651, although his name is on the "whale
like it. list" of Southampton in 1643. He is believed

144

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