The 1789 painting by artist Jacques-Louis David known as Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of His Sons shows that stoicism and putting state over family and emotions may not always be the right thing to do. Instead, being fearless and embracing emotions may help the world realize where it can improve.
Jacques-Louis David was a French painter who worked in the Neoclassical style. He was also a leader of the French Revolution. His most famous works include The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates.
The painting was painted right before the beginning of the French Revolution. It depicts Brutus, sitting in the shadows. He led a revolution against the government of Rome, and has just discovered that his sons have committed treason by trying to bring back the monarchy.
But it takes a certain level of courage and cold-heartedness for Brutus to sentence his own family to death and put political values over his own family and emotions. He is putting virtue over his family, and country over his feelings. On the other side of the painting, we see Brutus’ wife and daughters with horror on their faces. They can’t believe that Brutus has executed his own sons. They don’t suppress their anguish, and they don’t have to because that’s the way they express their message.
On one level, this is a painting about not giving in to emotions and sacrificing for good of the country. In many ways, this theme fits with the French Revolution value that people should think about the greater good, rather than their personal lives. To some extent, this is true, but what is morality? What is the “greater good”?
On another level, perhaps giving in to emotions isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you look at the painting, you see the women in the light, horrified by the scene. The mother calls out, trying to go to her sons, but knows that it was hopeless. You can feel her emotions, her anguish, her desperation.
In this society, not only do we not act on the emotions we feel, we are scared by them. We are scared by feelings because we think it’s shameful to feel. Instead of regarding our emotions with discomfort, we should try to embrace them, and trust in what our instincts tell us to do.
Sources:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657493098828x406846312015330750/The%20grieving%20women%20in%20this%2018th%20century%20painting%20have%20a%20lesson%20for%20us%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
https://mythmatters.smyers.buffscreate.net/published/reception/the-lictors-bring-to-brutus-the-bodies-of-his-sons/
Jacques-Louis David was a French painter who worked in the Neoclassical style. He was also a leader of the French Revolution. His most famous works include The Oath of the Horatii and The Death of Socrates.
The painting was painted right before the beginning of the French Revolution. It depicts Brutus, sitting in the shadows. He led a revolution against the government of Rome, and has just discovered that his sons have committed treason by trying to bring back the monarchy.
But it takes a certain level of courage and cold-heartedness for Brutus to sentence his own family to death and put political values over his own family and emotions. He is putting virtue over his family, and country over his feelings. On the other side of the painting, we see Brutus’ wife and daughters with horror on their faces. They can’t believe that Brutus has executed his own sons. They don’t suppress their anguish, and they don’t have to because that’s the way they express their message.
On one level, this is a painting about not giving in to emotions and sacrificing for good of the country. In many ways, this theme fits with the French Revolution value that people should think about the greater good, rather than their personal lives. To some extent, this is true, but what is morality? What is the “greater good”?
On another level, perhaps giving in to emotions isn’t necessarily a bad thing. When you look at the painting, you see the women in the light, horrified by the scene. The mother calls out, trying to go to her sons, but knows that it was hopeless. You can feel her emotions, her anguish, her desperation.
In this society, not only do we not act on the emotions we feel, we are scared by them. We are scared by feelings because we think it’s shameful to feel. Instead of regarding our emotions with discomfort, we should try to embrace them, and trust in what our instincts tell us to do.
Sources:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1657493098828x406846312015330750/The%20grieving%20women%20in%20this%2018th%20century%20painting%20have%20a%20lesson%20for%20us%20-%20The%20Washington%20Post.pdf
https://mythmatters.smyers.buffscreate.net/published/reception/the-lictors-bring-to-brutus-the-bodies-of-his-sons/
