Jacques Louis David

Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) was a French painter who is considered one of the most prominent artists of the 18th and early 19th centuries. He was born in Paris and studied at the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture. David's early work was influenced by classical and Baroque art, but he later became associated with Neoclassicism, a style that emphasized clarity, simplicity, and a return to the values of ancient Greece and Rome. David was also a prominent member of the French Revolution, and his paintings often celebrated the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. He was appointed as the official painter of Napoleon Bonaparte, and his iconic painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps is among his most famous works. Despite his association with the revolutionary cause, David later fell out of favor with the government and spent several years in exile.