La Mort de Marat

Created by Lake Blocher on Tue, 09/24/2019 - 22:07

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Description: 

This painting by neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David depicts the death of Jean-Paul Marat, a French revolutionary leader. He was murdered by Charlotte Corday, a member of the Girondin political party, a direct enemy of the Montagnard party that Marat belonged to. Corday sneaked into his chamber while he bathed under the guise of a reporter and fatally stabbed him. In the months after, David, a fellow Montagnard, painted a perfectionist view that changed certain details from what actually took place, like leaving out Marat's skin condition, or not leaving the knife impaled in his chest as Corday had. It would at first be a rally cry for David's fellow party members against the Girondins until 1795, when it stayed in hiding until scholars rediscovered it in the middle of the 19th century, who appraised and revered the work.

The paper in Marat's hand reads "Citizen, my extreme misery suffices to give me a right to your benevolence." translated from French to English.

References:

http://www.19thcenturyart-facos.com/artwork/marat

Copyright: 

©

Associated Place(s)

Layers

Timeline of Events Associated with La Mort de Marat

The Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat

13 Jul 1793 to 13 Jul 1793

In the summer of 1793, Jean-Paul Marat was assassinated by Charlotte Corday of Caen. Corday's allegiances were Girondin and she blamed Marat for the atrocities of the September Massacre the year before, an event which he was a major proponent for. She arrived to Marat's flat under the guise of having news of Girondin activity in Normandy, and Jean-Paul's wife let her into his medicinal bathing chambers, for Marat suffered from a rare skin disease. Corday ditched her facade after he confirmed his violent intention for the Girondins, driving a dagger into his chest. Corday was then caught, tried and guillotined, with no resistance on her part.

The death of Marat would rally Montagnard (Jacobin) forces against the Girondins, eventually leading to the Jacobins' Reign of Terror, perpetuated by ther rally cries of Jacques-Louis David's artwork of the scene. Both Corday and Marat were portrayed as martyrs for their actions to their respective factions, immortalizing the events in the wake of the escalation of conflict deeply embedded in France during the revolution.

References:

francerevisited.com/2012/07/ch…

www.history.com/this-day-in-hi…

The Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat

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TimelineJS

Part of Group:

Engaging English (F19 ENGL 202, Purdue)

Featured in Exhibit: 

Romanticism: A Class Gallery

Artist: 

  • Jacques-Louis David

Image Date: 

circa. 1791-94