Jacques-Louis David Biography

Jacques-Louis David was a famous French painter best known for his Neo-classical style of painting which made him one of the foremost painters of his time. He started painting when the Rocco style was in vogue and is credited to have brought about a change in the artistic attitudes of people through his unique painting style and popularized neoclassicism. He also had an active interest in politics and served as the artistic director of the French Revolution for a brief time in 1789. He was primarily a painter of historical events though he was equally skilled at painting other genres. Painting was something he loved from a young age though he had to face a lot of opposition before he could pursue his passion professionally. Having lost his father at an early age, he was brought up by his architect uncles who pressurized him to follow in their footsteps. The boy rebelled and went on to create his own destiny and soon became a famous painter. He was a revolutionary who expressed his ideas through his paintings. Incredibly talented, he also possessed a volatile temper and was fiercely independent. A leading painter of his time, he also mentored several students, many of whom like Antoine-Jean Gros went on to become legendary painters themselves.