The Death of Marat (painting)
The Death of Marat is a renowned painting created by French artist Jacques-Louis David in 1793. The artwork poignantly captures the assassination of Jean-Paul Marat, a key revolutionary figure and journalist, who was murdered in his bathtub by Charlotte Corday. Marat, whose skin condition often forced him to write from the bath, is depicted holding a blood-stained letter in one hand, symbolizing his political struggle and martyrdom. The painting is notable for its dramatic composition and emotional resonance, reflecting Marat's significance to the revolutionary movement.
Several versions of the painting exist, with the most recognized version displayed in the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts in Brussels. David’s portrayal not only memorializes Marat but also serves as political propaganda for the Jacobin cause, especially following Marat's death, which intensified the Reign of Terror in France. Corday, an ally of the opposing Girondins, was executed shortly after the crime, claiming she acted to save thousands from Marat's radical influence. The Death of Marat remains an iconic representation of revolutionary fervor and the complexities of political martyrdom.
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The Death of Marat (painting)
The Death of Marat is a 1793 painting by famed French painter Jacques-Louis David. The work depicts the murder of David’s friend, the French revolutionary leader and journalist Jean-Paul Marat. The painting shows Marat murdered in his bathtub. The journalist, who had a severe skin condition, would often write in the tub to try to soothe his skin. The painting shows a wooden box next to the tub that Marat was using as a table. The murdered revolutionary still holds a bloodied letter in his hand in the painting.
Several versions of the work exist, with slight differences seen in each. The version of the painting that hangs in the Musées Royaux des Beaux Arts in Brussels, Belgium, is thought to be the final version. Some versions have different messages printed on the wooden box. The message on the box in the version that hangs in the Louvre in Paris, France, reads “N’ayant pu me corrompre ils m’ont assassin” (Unable to corrupt me, they murdered me).
Overview
Jean-Paul Marat was originally a physician. As France moved toward revolution in the late eighteenth century, Marat began publishing the journal L’Ami du Peuple, in which he printed articles criticizing the people in power. After French King Louis XVI was arrested in 1792, Marat became a delegate to the National Convention. Marat, a member of the French radical group known as the Jacobins, was outspoken in his views for how the country should change. This stance did not win him friends with the conservative members of the assembly, known as the Girondins.
The Girondins regarded Marat as their enemy. Whereas Marat was a radical, the Girondins did not want the entire social order of the country upended. Charlotte Corday was the daughter of a poor aristocrat from Caen in the Normandy region of France. She was an ally of the Girondins and began constructing a plan to kill Marat in July 1793. Posing as a radical, Corday told Marat’s wife that she had urgent information for him. She was admitted to his bathroom, where he was writing while soaking in the bathtub to alleviate his skin condition. The two talked briefly, and then Corday removed a knife from her dress and stabbed Marat. He died almost instantly. Some reports claim that Corday calmly waited for the police, while others suggest that Marat’s associates captured her. Corday was executed for her crime on July 17, 1793, just four days after Marat’s murder. At her trial, she supposedly said, “I killed one man to save 100,000.”
However, this proved not to be the case. Many, including Jacques-Louis David, saw Marat as a martyr for the Jacobian cause. His death helped bring about the Reign of Terror, which began that September and lasted until the following summer. This event claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Individuals who supported Marat’s cause used his murder as propaganda to further their interests. This included David, who quickly painted The Death of Marat, which is now regarded as one of his finest works. The painting was soon hung in the hall of the National Convention, the revolutionary French government in Paris. An engraving of the image was also made, allowing prints to be distributed to the public.
Bibliography
“Charlotte Corday.” Brooklyn Museum, www.brooklynmuseum.org/eascfa/dinner‗party/heritage‗floor/charlotte‗corday. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.
“Charlotte Corday Assassinates Marat.” History.com, 21 Aug. 2018, www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charlotte-corday-assassinates-marat. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.
“David, Jacques-Louis.” Top 101 Artists, edited by Shalini Saxena, Britannica Educational Publishing with Rosen Educational Services, 2014, pp. 29–30.
“The Death of Marat.” Historical Museum of the Urban Environment, 2009, www.mheu.org/en/timeline/marat-dead-david.htm. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.
Glover, Michael. “Great Works: The Death of Marat, By Jacques-Louis David (1793).” Independent, 3 Jan. 2014, www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/great-works/great-works-the-death-of-marat-by-jacques-louis-david-1793-9035080.html. Accessed 21 Nov. 2018.
Neely, Sylvia. A Concise History of the French Revolution. Rowman & Littlefield, 2008, pp. 187–89.
“Neoclassicism.” Arts and Humanities through the Eras, edited by Edward I. Bleiberg, et al., vol. 5: The Age of the Baroque and Enlightenment 1600–1800, Gale, 2005, pp. 507–13.
Newton, Michael. “Marat, Jean-Paul (1743–1793).” Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia, vol. 1, ABC-CLIO, 2014, pp. 317–20.