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Death Of Marat Painting Analysis

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The Death of Marat painting by Jacques Louis David is a representation of how Jean Paul Marat was assassinated. David’s portrait of Marat is famous because of how well the painting tells the story of Marat’s death. In the painting, Marat is lying dead from a stab wound in his bath and holding a piece of paper from Charlotte Corday. This might tell the viewer that Charlotte Corday stabbed Marat while he was taking a bath. Since Marat was so famous at the time of the French Revolution, this painting became famous for a long time. David was also a known figure and friend of Marat’s at the time, which is why he was chosen to paint Marat’s portrait. David’s own feelings about the murder are shown in his painting. Marat is portrayed as an utterly perfect and innocent man which is wrong due to Marat’s history. He was painted to have flawless skin, even though he had a skin disease causing sores to grow throughout his body. His face is also portrayed as peaceful by the slight smile on this face and his relaxed muscles. He was not innocent during his time in the French Revolution, he demanded hundreds hateful and radical ideas. David portrays Marat as a beautiful and innocent political figure, which is historically false.
Description of Painting:
In the Death of Marat painting, Marat is in his bath looking at Charlotte Corday’s petition. The lighting is mostly on his face and the paper he is holding. This is important because David wanted his viewers to notice Marat’s facial
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