Jacques Louis David, Andromache Mourning Hector - 1145 Words

Jacques-Louis David, Andromache Mourning Hector (1783) Homeric inspiration, allusion and grandeur is no better typified than that of Jacques-Louis David’s 1783 painting Andromache Mourning Hector. David, a neoclassical artist and later influent to the latter Romantic movement, blends various elements and allusions of Homeric times to his artwork, encapsulating important Homeric textual and philosophical references. Masterfully, David engages audience with four central themes of the illiad; the rage of Achillies, Hectors death a metaphor for the fall of troy; and most importantly, the human impact of War. The ominous, heart-breaking family portrait not only enhances Homers’ text, but also ‘paints’ David’s own time; a steady shift into the Romantic Eras’ emphasis on emotive expressionism and passion. After Jacques-Louis David’s passing in 1825, Neoclassicism had passed considerably in Europe and the Romantic Movement had gained considerable momentum and following in art and literature. The enduring and widespread standards instilled in Classical art and literature were challenged by the Romantics, aiming to transform the firm restraints of rationalism, with a greater emphasis on the power of emotion, arguing each generation must find its own forms of expression. Nevertheless, David and his students defended the stricter adherence to classical forms, while incorporating several romantic techniques into this particular piece. Thus the painting is a synthesis of the two art