DAVID, JACQUES LOUIS, was born at Paris in 1750. In 1771 he went to Rome to study ; he returned to France ten years after wards, and attained considerable reputation as an bieturical and por trait painter. Upon the breaking out of the Revolution he threw himself amongst the foremost ranks of the revolutionists. He was the intimate friend of Robespierre, and was appointed manager of all the spectacles and allegorical shows of the republic. lio proposed to construct a colossal figure of the people out of the ruins of the statues of the kings, to be placed on the 1'ont•Neuf, but never proceeded farther than a model, from which however the design for the reverse of the republican coin was taken, which was used several years. When Robespierre, anticipating his downfall, expressed himself ready to die the death of Socrates, David, who was present, exclaimed, " Rob s' Pierre, if you will drink the hemlock I will drink it also." In 1791 he was denounced, and imprisoned, altogether about a year; but was ultimately liberated, and appears thenceforward to have taken a leas prominent part in political matters. Ile was appointed priuoipal painter to the National Institute. In 1815 he was banished from France with those who had voted for the death of Louis XVI., and
took up his abode at Brussels, where be died December 29. 1e25. Many anecdotes of his cruelty during the revolution are related by his enemies, but they are not well authenticated ; others, in proof of his patriotic magnanimity, are scarcely better established. He appears iu truth to have been a man of narrow capacity, and of a warm but not malicious disposition. He ie described as being afflicted with a tumour in his jaw, which disfigured his appearance and ao disturbed his utterance that he could not speak ten words in the same tone. To this imperfect epecch he added n blustering manner.
David is said to have expressed a wish, that if an Athenian were to revisit the earth, he might take him for a Greek painter. This is the key to his style, which is a servile imitation of the Greek sculptures; his figures are like statues coloured and put in motion; his drawing is correct, and his composition classical; but his design is constrained and artificial, with a hard outline and harsh colour. The 'Rape of the Sabinee' is considered one of the beet of hie works, which are chiefly at Paris. His portrait of Napoleon I. is well known.