What more is there to say about the neoclassical art of Jacques-Louis David? Rather a lot, suggests the Louvre – not least that the term ‘neoclassical’, as applied to David, is unhelpful (15 October–26 January 2026). The show’s curator, Sébastien Allard, has avoided the word altogether in the wall texts, emphasising instead how David reflected the turbulent politics of his time. David played master of ceremonies for the French Revolutionary regime and lived through five changes of government. A pen-and-ink depiction of the Tennis Court Oath, made in 1791, two years after the event, is one of many well-known works in the exhibition, which unites works held by the Louvre – the holder of more paintings by David than any other institution – with some 100 loans.
Find out more from the Louvre’s website.
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