Oath of the Horatii it was painted nearly four years before the revolution in France, "The Oath of the Horatii" became one of the defining images of the time. In the painting, the three brothers express their loyalty and solidarity with Rome before battle, wholly supported by their father. These are men willing to lay down their lives out of patriotic duty. With their resolute gaze and taut, outstretched limbs, they are citadels of patriotism. They are symbols of the highest virtues of Rome. Their clarity of purpose, mirrored by David's simple yet powerful use of tonal contrasts, lends the painting, and its message
Oath of the Horatii "The Oath of the Horatii". The painting was exhibited in the Salon of 1785, but it was delivered late. David's enemies at the Academy took advantage of the delay to exhibit the painting in a poor locale in the gallery. The public's dissatisfaction with the painting's poor viewing conditions obliged the gallery to move it to a more prominent location. David kept "The Oath of the Horatii" on exhibit for longer than expected to permit reporters to write about all of the paintings exhibited, not just his. Oath of the Horatii Oath of the Horatii (), is a large painting