The Death of Marat

The Death of Marat, painted by Jacques-Louis David, depicts the 1793 assassination of radical journalist and revolutionary activist Jean-Paul Marat and is one of the most famous images of the French Revolution. Marat was stabbed while writing in his bathtub, and his murderer’s name is written on the paper he holds in the painting. David’s representation of this scene is reminiscent of depictions of Christian martyrs in religious works. What is the political significance of this imagery? More… Discuss