The Power of Art

In the documentary, "The Power of Art," Simon Schama vehemently argues that, although Jacques Louis David was a very persuasive and provocative propaganda artist, he should be blamed for supporting the state of terror that France was in by exaggerating the situation to prove his point. Schama does acknowledge that David was an effective painter and conveyed his opinions extremely well through the canvas, but he disagrees with his methodology.

However, David's propaganda artwork did not have to be restricted to a certain political era. As times changed, David's paintings changed to glorify the modern, popular cause. This painting of Napoleon crossing the Alps was painted in 1801, two years after he declared himself First Consul, but three years before he was officially voted as emperor by the French senate. In this image, Napoleon is pictured as a hero, a savior, mounted in a glorious pose on top of his rearing horse. Even for his time, he was a very short man, but in David's painting, he is portrayed taller than in actuality, rivaling the height of his horse. His hand pointed up and forward conveys subconsciously that Napoleon is a powerful leader who is ready to take charge. While this painting is not realistic by any means, this supports Schama's thesis in that David bends the reality of the situation to provoke certain thoughts and reactions from its viewers. However, when viewing a painting, some amount of reality can be compromised, giving the public an opinion that leans towards that of the painter.