Simon Schama's Power of Art (2006)

Episode Overview

Jacques-Louis David, born into an affluent Parisian family, faced tragedy at the age of seven when his father was killed in a duel. Raised by his uncles, he pursued his passion for art and eventually studied under his mother’s cousin, François Boucher, who was the leading painter in France at the time. Painting became crucial for David as a means of expression, particularly after a sword fight left him with a facial scar and a benign tumor that affected his speech, causing him to stutter. He sought to redefine art with a new classical style, moving away from the lightness of the Rococo era to reflect the serious moral atmosphere preceding the French Revolution. David aligned himself with the republican government, and his work, especially "The Death of Marat," became a powerful and controversial piece of propaganda.