Jacques-Louis David’s Piece the Oath of the Horath

Compare and Contrast Essay

Jacques-Louis David’s piece the Oath of the Horath is a very dark artwork. In the middle are four men. One of which is holding three swords. He is dressed in red and looks to be the other men’s superior officer. He looks older and wiser than the others. The other three men are saluting him. They are dressed in roman attire. The men look like they are training for battle. The saluting soldiers are wearing helmets and the one closest to the viewer is holding a spear. The men look like great warriors.

To the right of the men sits three women and a child. They do not look interested in what the men are doing. The two women closest to the viewer seem to be sleeping and the other has he hand around the child. They look very tired. The women provide balance in this piece. The men look much more alive than the women in this piece. The women look lifeless.

The people are in an open room and it looks as though the sun is rising or setting. A shadow is cast on the pillars behind the men. Rhythm is formed in this piece by the pillars in the background. The gloomy color in the picture makes it look old.

Cornelia, pointing to he children as her treasures by Angelica Kauffmann, shows two women talking. The women to the left has a child by the hand to her left (the viewer’s right) and two more children to her right. The woman to the right has a piece of jewelry in her hand. The women look very much engaged in conversation. The two children to the far left are playing. They are holding hands. The wall behind the women opens up for ventilation. There is a big pillar. The mountains can be seen in the background. The piece is very well balanced. Its emphasis is on the women talking to each other.

The