Jacques-Louis David

H: Bonjour, Jaques!

J: No, no you are saying it all wrong. You say BON-jour, not bon-JOUR. Repeat after me, BON-jour Jaques!

H: BON-jour Jaques!

J: Better. Bonjour Harry!

H: So, back on track, I'd like to ask you a few questions about your life as a painter.

J: Ah! Good! I love talking about my passion!

H: Yes, well you'll be doing a lot of that. I'd like to start at the very beginning. Exactly what made you interested in the arts so early in life?

J: Well I have had the compulsion to draw for as long as I can remember (David) , in life beauty is everywhere, and as a young child I strove to make it my own. I would draw all day, at home, in school, a cafe. It made me do rather poorly in school as I was always drawing all over my notebooks. Ahhh, the carelessness of youth. Alas, I am as you are no longer!

H: Me?

J: Yes of course you, you Idiot. As I was saying, no more am I filled with innocence and wonder! No more do I skip in youth and-

H: So, back to what inspires you as an artist…

J: I was getting to that. You see, youth appreciates beauty like no one else, a child is filled with wonder at things that would seem mundane to me or even you! To a child everything is fresh and wonderful. That is the way it was for me. I was filled with wonder and I wanted to create wonder as well! So I drew and I painted, until one day I realized this is what I wanted to do with my life (David). This made my mother furious, she was such an excitable woman, she fancied me to be an architect (Wikipedia). but I was able to get training from Francois Boucher (David)…

H: Your mentor?

J: Yes, I suppose why?

H: Well my next question is, How did mentors help you develop as an artist?

J: How? Without them I wouldn't have! It was Francois who started me down the road that led me where I am today! Had he not trained me, the Revolution would have failed, the art world would be crippled, and many great wonders would be reduced to blank canvasses. But I get ahead of myself. Boucher sent me out to a man who would shape my artistic carrier, Joseph-Marie Vien. Joseph-Marie was onto the neoclassical style, a wonderful style which is inspired by the beauty of the classical art of the Greeks and Romans (NeoClassic). However, I was not content with my training and struggled to be trained by the very best at The French Academy in Rome. I applied for scholarship. And Vien refused to give me one. He refused me five times (Wikipedia) ! Letting other, worthless artists have it instead! Are they famous now? NO! Anyway, I protested this terrible injustice by starving myself. That was just what was needed get me in… The French Academy is where I truly became an artist. How? I saw art, true art. I studied with Raphael, whose works are just as divine as his name. There I saw the ruins of great Rome, the column of Trajan and was inspired (David).

H: I'm sorry but i'll have to stop you there. What was the style of art like as you became an artist?

J: In general or just painting?

H: painting.

J: Well, this can be easily summarized by comparing my two masters. Boucher painted Rococo, which is a gaudy playful style that is pleasing to the eye, but lacks the ancient power of Neoclassicism, the style Vien and I use. If Rococo is feminine, than neoclassicism is masculine.

H: Isn't that a bit sexist?

J: Sexist?

H: Never mind, go on.

J: As I was saying, Rococo is beautiful, but lacks the depth and power of the Neoclassical style (Neoclassic).

H: Defininatly sexist…

J: I embraced Neoclassical because it is inspired by the grandure and glory of ancient Rome and Greece. Rome and Greece inspire me greatly as an artist so it is natural for me. I was on the vanguard of the Neoclassical style. As I entered the art field, Rococo was losing popularity quickly to the clearly superior Neoclassical style!

H: That's a bold statement!

J: It's the truth!

H: I won’t argue with you… on to the next question, How did the major political and economic situations of the time impact your work?

J: No sir, you have it all wrong. I impacted the major events of the time with my work!

When the blessed Revolution came, I did something no one had tried before. I tried to paint the events of the time. My first attempt was to paint the Tennis Court Oath, but the political situation was still changing and it became unsafe to paint it. Later, however, I would captivate the French people with a painting depicting the death of my good friend Marat. I felt this calling from the people, "David, take up your brushes…, avenge Marat... I heard the voice of the people. I obeyed."(Wikipedia.)

I also would organize the funerals of many great heroes of the revolution.

H: And I understand you also knew Napoleon?

J: Oui, I met Napoleon. In fact he was a dear friend! This surprises you, no? I have painted the great general many a time! How could I not paint a man on fire, filled with passion and wit, so much like myself? His face had a classical look to it so very rare these days! As soon as I saw him I knew I must paint him!

I would like to believe that Napoleon was also very fond of me. He invited me to accompany him to Egypt! (Wikipedia) I, alas, had to refuse, for my bones ached and I was altogether to old a man to go adventuring in Egypt. Napoleon was gracious enough to allow me, flawed as I am, to be the official court painter of his most glorious regime!

H: That's quite an accomplishment. On to my next question, What were your accomplishments and styles as an artist?

J: Accomplishments? Well I have made many paintings that would be the masterpiece of any other artists… If I had to pick a favorite… Well that is hard to say. The Death of Marat is most loved by the people, but I personally cannot say the same, I rushed to finish that painting, had I a little more time it could be so much better. Also, That painting carries to many phantoms for me. Perhaps Napoleon Crosses the Alps, but I have made that painting so many times that I am weary of it. My crown must go to Mars Being Disarmed by Venus and the Three Graces.(Wahoo Art) It was meant to be my last and greatest work (Wikipedia). I believe it is, even if not everyone agrees with me. The colors are so perfect it could make a grown man collapse into tears.

H: And as for styles you used Neoclassical style and the Grecian style you created, correct?

J: I created? The Grecian style is not my creation! It is the creation of the Greeks! I have just brought it into the modern day! You see, before I was painting in a way akin to that of the Romans. A style filled with unneeded detail that takes away from the piece. The Grecian style, however, is filled with noble simplicity and silent greatness, in other words, perfection.

H: That sounds beautiful. My next question is, what were the major turning points in your life and art?

J: One of the biggest was the death of my dear friend Robespierre. As he was arrested I was ready to kill myself !

H: Why, did that shake your resolve?

J: No! Absolutely not! How could you think that of me! Do I look like a sniveling coward to you! It only made my resolve stronger! The pain of the loss made it all the more clear that our revolution was righteous! The grief filled me with passion, and what is the revolution but passion!? No, I was going to kill myself to die with the revolution! But after the revolution I began to feel regret for all the bloodshed I was involved in. I voted for people to be killed, that weighs on me greatly even today.

H: Do you think you did right in your time in power?

J: I would not say right. I would say I did the just thing. Or maybe the brave thing. But no, not the right thing. Looking back on all the chaos, all the blood, I sometimes think I should have been more moderate. Not much more, mind you! But I might have shown a little more forgiveness. Been a little less quick to have someone guillotined. But I did serve the Revolution and that is good. “In all human activity the violent and transitory develops first; repose and profundity appear last. The recognition of these later qualities requires time; only great masters have them, while their pupils have access only to violent passions.(Wikipedia)”

H: So now you are a master?

J: Perhaps.

H: Next question: what personal choices added to your success as an artist?

J: My choice to go to Rome was one. It is where I was Inspired. Rome has three of my great loves; passion, beauty, and history. It was there I saw the Colosseum and realized what kind of artist I wanted to be.

H: Any others?

J: Ah! How could I forget! My decision not to attend the evening assembly the day Robespierre was arrested undoubtedly saved me from being guillotined! Instead I escaped with a prison sentence, much better than the fate of Robespierre, I can tell you that! My Career would have ended right there!

H: Wow! That's intense! My next question is, what roadblocks did you have to overcome to become an artist?

J: Well I have already told you about how my family didn't want me to be an artist, that was a major issue in my life. Also, as I have told you, there was my being rejected from The French Academy all those times. But there are a few things I have not talked about. The wounds on my face. I was injured by a sword. This makes it very hard for me to speak.

H: You sound fine.

J: Do not play me for a fool! Also there is the growth on my face… These things have really hurt my image as a public figure. That has been an obstacle in everything in my life.

H: Oh god. I'm sorry.

J: I do not need your pity! I deserve respect!

H: Of course I respect you! You are the greatest Neoclassical artist in all France!

J: Ever!

H: Right. Next question: what kind of limitations did you run into as both an artist and a person?

J: Well, I am perhaps too passionate. Often I get so caught up in the emotion of a moment that I do something rash and headstrong. I am perhaps too harsh to those I feel are imperfect. I am perhaps to quick to judge people. These thinks have led me to decisions I regret deeply.

H: What about your art?

J: What about it? There is nothing to say! No imperfections!

H: Well, what makes them so great they have no flaws whatsoever?

J: That is like asking what makes the ocean blue! It is unexplainable, but everyone knows it to be true. My paintings are not great because of the skill that painted them, they are great because they show the most magnificent things in the world. My paintings are mere windows. Windows looking out on heaven.

H: Wow. Are you sure there is nothing? Absolutely no imperfections?

J: Well, maybe that I cannot paint everything that beautiful and passionate.

H: I guess thats the most I'll get out of you. Now before I go, do you have any anecdotes you want to tell me?

J: Ah, yes. Now because I was friends with Napoleon, I was permitted to see his coronation. It was beautiful! Fantastic! Held in the Notre Dame! Have you ever been?

H: I hope to someday.

J: Well you must! It will open your eyes to what beauty truly is! So, anyway I was commissioned to paint the coronation. I got each person to come and pose for me, except Napoleon, he was very busy. However I did get the Pope to model for me. A very good man, he actually blessed me! Best of all when Napoleon saw it, his face slacked and his eyes grew distant he stared at it awestruck, for what seemed to be an eternity. And then the newly christened Emperor said, " David, I salute you!"

H: Napoleon said that!

J: He did.

H: I guess your art really is without imperfection! Merci! Au revoir!

J: Au revior!