Oil Paint
Oil paint is a slow-drying art medium made with pigment and a drying-oil binder that allows extended working time, smooth blending, and layered application.
Painter
Jacques-Louis David
Jacques-Louis David was a French Neoclassical painter known for carefully arranged history paintings, precise drawing, and portraits of revolutionary France.
Jacques-Louis David quick facts
David built his Neoclassical compositions through preparatory studies and precise draftsmanship, often depicting historical moral choices.
| Born | August 30, 1748 · Paris, France |
|---|---|
| Died | December 29, 1825 · Brussels, United Kingdom of the Netherlands (now Belgium) |
| Nationality | French |
| Movements | Neoclassicism |
| Paint types | Oil Paint · Gouache Paint |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas · Paper |
| Painting methods | Close study of antique forms, repeated preparatory drawings, squared transfer studies, measured outlines, and controlled modeling in oil |
| Common subjects | Roman history, civic duty, ancient myths, the French Revolution, Napoleon, and individual portraits |
| Notable works | The Oath of the Horatii · The Death of Socrates · The Death of Marat · Napoleon Crossing the Alps |
| Preparatory materials | Black chalk, pen and ink, washes, and white gouache in selected composition studies |
Sources: National Gallery: Jacques-Louis David, The Met: General Gérard (oil on canvas), The Met: Distribution of the Eagles study, The Met: The Lictors Bringing Brutus study, The Met: Crito transfer study.
Paint types used
David's major history paintings and portraits use oil, while a documented preparatory drawing combines ink washes and white gouache.
Gouache Paint
Gouache paint is an opaque, water-based art medium made with pigment and a water-soluble binder, drying to a matte finish that can be reactivated with water.
Surface types used
David made his finished oil paintings on canvas; paper held compositional drawings, including studies heightened with white gouache.
Canvas
Canvas is a woven fabric support, commonly cotton or linen, used for painting and sold either raw or prepared with a compatible ground layer.
Paper
Paper is an absorbent sheet material made from pressed fibers, with weight, sizing, and surface texture controlling moisture tolerance and paint behavior.