The Death of Seneca, 1773 (oil on canvas)

The Death of Seneca (Main title) David, Jacques-Louis The Roman philosopher Seneca, accused of taking part in a conspiracy against Emperor Nero, has been ordered to commit suicide.Seneca accepts the sentence and his wife chooses to die with him. The couple slit their wrists, but death was slow in coming. Seneca asks the servants to take his wife away from him, to prevent either from weakening at the sight of the other's suffering. Pauline survives, spared by the emperor. A doctor cuts the philosopher's ankles to make the blood flow faster, and a slave presents him with poison. In the background, a centurion dispatched by Nero watches over the execution of the sentence. On the right, a disciple writes down the last words of the Stoic philosopher, whose death sets an example of the highest moral virtues in the face of tyranny. The draperies wrapped around the tall columns and the monumental statues are more reminiscent of an opera scene than the sober home of a Roman follower of Stoicism. Observe, too, the theatrical gestures of the figures, the elegance of the women's finery and the gaiety of the palette of pinks and blues.this decorative composition in the rococo taste does not sit well with the austerity of the subject imposed by the Académie for the Grand Prix de Rome of 1773. The jury was not convinced by David's painting. Yet the young painter had already entered for the third time. He had to wait another year before finally winning the Prix de Rome, which opened the gates to the Eternal City. It was in Rome that David forgot the charms of rococo to become the leading artist of neo-classicism. Inventory number: PDUT1154