Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman

Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman is the first major exhibition catalogue to focus on the drawings of Jacques Louis David, which played a crucial role in his iconic history paintings. The catalogue includes several newly discovered drawings and explores the artist's creative process during the French Revolution.

Format: Hardback
Length: 308 pages
Publication date: 22 February 2022
Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Jacques Louis David (1748-1825) is a renowned artist in the history of Western art, known for his iconic paintings such as The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates. However, his nearly 2,000 drawings, which range from quick chalk sketches to exquisite ink compositions, have received relatively less attention. Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman, the first major exhibition catalog to focus on these drawings, provides a new perspective on the celebrated master.

The book includes several recently discovered drawings that have been published here for the first time. It explores the artist's trial and experimentation process, from initial ideas to finished canvases. Essays by international experts on the artist shed light on how Davids preparatory works on paper reveal the development of his creative process and how they reflect the tumultuous years before, during, and after the French Revolution.

As both a participant and an observer, David played a significant role in establishing the new French society while documenting the drama, violence, and triumphs of modern history-in-the-making. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host an exhibition of the drawings from February 17 to May 15, 2022.

Weight: 1994g
Dimension: 253 x 288 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781588397461