Researchers from ULiège and the MRBAB propose a rereading of Jacques-Louis David's masterpiece, The death of Marat
On the occasion of a three-part exhibition opening at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, a team of researchers led by Catherine Defeyt (Centre européen d'Archéométrie - CEA / UR Art, Archéologie Patrimoine) from the University of Liège presents the first results of scientific analyses carried out on Jacques-Louis David's masterpiece, The death of Marat, which shed new light on the artist's creative process.
A masterpiece by the French neoclassical painter Jacques-Louis David, The death of Marat (1793) is an undisputed jewel in the crown of international art. Even today, the work continues to fascinate scholars and artists alike. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) have been the custodians of the painting since it was entrusted to them in 1893. This year, they are devoting a thematic exhibition to the artist's work, revealing new scientific knowledge about the creative process and the artistic biography of the masterpiece. For this purpose, the MRBAB have called on Dr Catherine Defeyt and Professor David Strivay, European Centre for Archaeometry (Art, Archaeology and Heritage Research Unit / Faculty of Science) of the University of Liège, who have been working with the museums for many years.
Within the framework of the FED-tWIN (Belspo) project Face to Face, Human Faces through the Prism of Technical Art History (ULiège European Centre for Archaeometry - MRBAB), this major work was subjected to an in-depth material and technical examination. The researchers used innovative non-invasive physicochemical techniques and scientific multi-spectral imaging technologies. The range of imaging and analysis techniques applied included hyperspectral imaging (HSI), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Raman spectroscopy (RS), high-resolution photography, digital microscopy, infrared reflectography (IRR) and X-ray radiography (XRR). All examinations and analyses could be carried out in situ thanks to the portability of the CEA's instrumentation. IRR and XRR techniques are very effective in revealing preparatory drawings, pentimenti (from the Italian pentimento, which means, in painting, that part of the painting has been covered by the painter in order to modify the canvas in depth) and compositional changes," explains Catherine Defeyt, project coordinator. In addition to these imaging methods, two more recent imaging techniques, namely MA-XRF (XRF in mapping mode) and HSI were also applied. Both HSI and MA-XRF allow the chemical composition of paint materials to be imaged.
The discoveries, resulting from the intersection of scientific, historical and stylistic data, concern several points:
- The genesis of the painting and its links with another emblematic painting by David, now lost, representing another martyr of the Revolution on his deathbed, Louis-Michel Lepeletier de Saint-Fargeau. These two paintings were intended to face each other in the Salle des Conventions.
- David's use of models to compose Marat's face, such as the drawing made on his deathbed and also that of his death mask
- Significant compositional changes in his hands, but also in his face (closing of the eyes)
Finally, the research has made it possible to propose a novel alternative to the generally accepted theory that the work had been hidden under a layer of whitewash during the fall of the Empire and David's exile in Brussels. While there is an exhaustive bibliography on the subject, we were surprised by the large number of discoveries we made during our analysis," explains Catherine Defeyt. One of the main ones is the compositional changes we studied in the painting in the face and hand of Marat. These confirm the artist's desire to reinforce the political content of his work.
In this perspective of material and technical research, it was appropriate to compare the work with existing supports in order to better understand the creative process of the work, as well as its evolution over time. The exhibition " The death of Marat " at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium presents three of the four known replicas preserved in French museums (Versailles, Dijon and Reims) and produced in the artist's studio under his supervision. The preliminary results of the studies carried out by the scientific team have been published in the exhibition catalogue; the full results of the research will be published very shortly in the form of scientific articles and a Booklet of Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.
About The Death of Marat
An emblem of the French Revolution, it has also inspired artists from a wide range of disciplines and continues to do so. In it, David tells the complex story of a political assassination with verve, setting it up as a timeless allegory of secular martyrdom and the Enlightenment. Intended to adorn the meeting room of the National Convention, the picture was painted in record time between July and October 1793. Together with Marat, the artist offered himself a seat in this constituent assembly. After all, the two men shared the same republican views. After the fall of Napoleon, the Restoration forced the artist into exile in Brussels to live and work there until his death in 1825. For security reasons, the Death of Marat was hidden from the curious and remained out of the spotlight for a long time. Grateful for the hospitality David enjoyed in Brussels, his grandson bequeathed the work to the Belgian state in 1886. The work, which has been in the collections of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium since 1893, is a treasure of international artistic heritage. A true pioneer of modernism, the painting has had a profound effect on the history and history of art. Although much has been written about it, the work continues to fascinate researchers.
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Published on 4/29/22
