Jacques Louis David
Radical Draftsman
Published on 22. February 2022
Book
Hardback
308 pages
978-1-58839-746-1 (ISBN)
Description
The first major exhibition catalogue to focus on Jacques Louis David's drawings and their crucial role in his iconic history paintings made before, during, and after the French Revolution
"A superb survey . . . a first-rate catalog . . . [a] cornucopia of masterworks."-Colin B. Bailey, New York Review of Books
Jacques Louis David's (1748-1825) paintings are among the most iconic in the history of Western art, but comparatively little is known about the artist's nearly 2,000 drawings-from quick chalk sketches scribbled in notebooks to exquisite ink compositions enlivened with oil paint-that formed the basis of beloved masterpieces such as The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates. Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman is the first major publication to focus on the often years-long process of trial and experimentation that progressed from initial idea to finished canvas. Including several recently discovered drawings published here for the first time, this book provides a new perspective on the celebrated master. Essays by international experts on the artist explore how David's preparatory works on paper reveal the development of his creative process, while also bearing witness to the tumultuous years before, during, and after the French Revolution. As both a participant and an observer, David helped establish the new French society while documenting the drama, violence, and triumphs of modern history-in-the-making.
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(February 17-May 15, 2022)
"A superb survey . . . a first-rate catalog . . . [a] cornucopia of masterworks."-Colin B. Bailey, New York Review of Books
Jacques Louis David's (1748-1825) paintings are among the most iconic in the history of Western art, but comparatively little is known about the artist's nearly 2,000 drawings-from quick chalk sketches scribbled in notebooks to exquisite ink compositions enlivened with oil paint-that formed the basis of beloved masterpieces such as The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates. Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman is the first major publication to focus on the often years-long process of trial and experimentation that progressed from initial idea to finished canvas. Including several recently discovered drawings published here for the first time, this book provides a new perspective on the celebrated master. Essays by international experts on the artist explore how David's preparatory works on paper reveal the development of his creative process, while also bearing witness to the tumultuous years before, during, and after the French Revolution. As both a participant and an observer, David helped establish the new French society while documenting the drama, violence, and triumphs of modern history-in-the-making.
Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press
Exhibition Schedule:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
(February 17-May 15, 2022)
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Product notice
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
242 color illus.
Dimensions
Height: 289 mm
Width: 249 mm
Thickness: 34 mm
Weight
1980 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58839-746-1 (9781588397461)
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Schweitzer Classification