The painter commonly referred to as “bird” is Jacques Louis David, one of the most influential painters during the French Revolution. David earned this nickname due to his political activities and support of the French Revolution. Let’s explore who Jacques Louis David was and how he earned the moniker “bird”.
Background on Jacques Louis David
Jacques Louis David was born in Paris in 1748. He studied under the court painter Francois Boucher and later under Joseph-Marie Vien, embracing the classical reaction to the prevailing Rococo style. David established his reputation with his 1774 work Erasistratus Discovering the Cause of Antiochus’ Disease, which was praised for its classical themes and style.
David became a leader of the new classical revival style and the chief proponent of the Neoclassical movement in French art. His work emphasized classical ideals like courage, sacrifice, and patriotism. This positioned him well when the French Revolution began in 1789.
David’s Role in the French Revolution
As a political radical, David embraced the rising tide of the French Revolution. He joined the Jacobins, renounced his ties to the royal court, and became a friend to leaders like Robespierre and Marat. His paintings increasingly reflected revolutionary ideals and historical events.
David was eventually elected to the National Convention in 1792. He voted for the execution of King Louis XVI and became an influential member of the arts bureaucracy under the French Republic.
How David Earned the Nickname “Bird”
During the French Revolution, David attended meetings of the National Convention wearing ostrich feather quills in his hat. This style was seen as a symbol of his political views.
The feathers came to represent a sort of mascot for David’s identity as a revolutionary artist and leader. People began referring to the plumed hat and saying “there is the bird” or “the bird has flown” when referring to David.
The nickname “bird” became permanently associated with the artist. Even his detractors used the nickname in a pejorative sense during times when David fell out of political favor. Nonetheless, “bird” conveyed David’s public identity as a revolutionary, reform-minded artist.
David’s Famous Paintings
Some of Jacques Louis David’s most famous works, reflecting both his classical and revolutionary styles, include:
The Oath of the Horatii (1784)
This painting depicts three ancient Roman brothers pledging their loyalty and willingness to sacrifice their lives for the state. It exemplifies Neoclassical principles and conveys duty and patriotism.
The Death of Socrates (1787)
This work depicts the Greek philosopher Socrates before his execution, as he gestures toward Crito as if to say that it is only his body, not his spirit, that is being put to death. It reflects Enlightenment ideals.
The Lictors Returning to Brutus the Bodies of His Sons (1789)
This shows the Roman consul Brutus grieving but resolute after condemning his own sons to death for conspiring against Rome. It is an example of David’s new classical revolutionary style.
The Death of Marat (1793)
David painted this shortly after the murder of his friend, the revolutionary leader Marat. It shows Marat as a heroic martyr of the Revolution and an exemplar of republican values.
The Sabine Women (1799)
Painted after the Reign of Terror, this work revisits classical themes. It shows the self-sacrifice and heroism of Roman women intervening to reconcile warring groups.
Leonidas at Thermopylae (1814)
This painting depicts the noble sacrifice of Leonidas and his Spartan army at the Battle of Thermopylae. David meant it to inspire French resistance against the invading armies of Europe.
Later Life
After the fall of Robespierre in 1794, David was briefly imprisoned for his associations with the Reign of Terror. He aligned himself with yet another political movement, Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power in 1799.
David became Napoleon’s official portraitist and painter of propaganda. His work shifted to depicting Napoleon in the heroic classical mode, as in his famous Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801).
David remained in favor and greatly successful under Napoleon’s patronage. After Napoleon fell from power, Louis XVIII pardoned David but the artist’s reputation never fully recovered. He suffered a stroke in 1825 which paralyzed his left side. Jacques Louis David died in Brussels on December 29, 1825.
Conclusion
Jacques Louis David was the preeminent French painter of the Revolutionary era, having captured its intellectual spirit in his works. His ardent political activism and distinctive feathered hats earned him the enduring nickname “bird.” This revolutionary artist exemplified both Neoclassical and Romantic styles, creating paintings aimed at political and moral instruction that were also enduring masterpieces. His works propelled French art forward and profoundly influenced European painting.