The Death of Marat

The Death of Marat

        Art should be pure and majestic. However, some people use art as means to achieve their personal aims. Sometimes it could be awful and deceitful. For example, they might use paintings, sculpture or literature as tools to convey their ideas. These ideas could be radical or false. Sometimes, it is hard to distinguish and could be misleading. I’m going to use The Death of Marat this painting as an example.

The Death of Marat is a famous French revolution painting. There is three main character involved with this painting. Jean-Paul Marat, the dead in the painting. Charlotte Corday, the murder. And Jacques-Louis David, the painter. This painting is about the radical journalist lying dead in the bathtub. Marat was one of the leaders in The Mountain. The members called Montagnards. This politic group’s ideology was radicalism and left-wing in the political position. Also, there was another politic group they called themselves Girondins. Their ideology was Liberalism and moderate in the political position. However, the murder Charlotte Corday was a Girondin. She was a political enemy of Marat and she blamed Marat for the September Massacre. This event was a massive killing of the prisoner that took place during September 2 to September 6 in 1792. People call on draftees to kill prisoners to prevent them joining the foreign army. Especially, Marat, he was a journalist. So, he has a great impact on people. Therefore Charlotte Corday decided to kill him. On July 13th, 1793 she gained entrance of Marat's room with a note promising of the counter-revolutionary ring. When she entered the room, Marat was in his bathtub. Because Marat suffered from the skin disease that causes him spend most his time in the bathtub. Then she stabbed Marat in the chest, though she didn't try to escape. She was tried and executed for the murder afterward. After a month, Jacques-Louis David painted this painting. He was not only the leading French painter also was a Montagnard and a friend of Marat. So, he painted this painting to achieve his political intent. Let people think Marat was a martyr. This painting was idealized. In the painting, there was no sign of his skin problems, and he seems calm and benevolent. Did not seem like he was murdered. Also, the knife should be left in Marat's chest instead of on the ground. I guess if he painted that way, might not be able to highlight Marat's sacred feeling. Also at that moment, Charlotte Corday should be somewhere near by, because she was not trying to escape. However, Jacques-Louis David only focused on the Marat. Moreover, people often compared this work to Michelangelo's Pieta, because they all have the elongated arm hanging down. I feel this was an awful lie. Pieta is about Jesus lying on the lap of Mary after Crucifixion. David was comparing Marat’ death to Jesus’s death and use the style of Christian martyr. Marat’s face and body bathed in a glowing light. This was definitely not realistic at all. He was not a martyr, just a Jacobin that killed by his politic enemy.