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I gave identifying info about this work to Perplexity with the instructions to research it and tell me all the interesting things it could about the work. Here’s what we got:

The Oath That Shook a Kingdom: David's Revolutionary Masterpiece

In a dramatic Roman hall, three muscular brothers stretch their arms forward in perfect unison, their hands reaching toward gleaming swords held aloft by their solemn father. Their bodies are taut with determination, every muscle expressing unwavering resolve. But in the shadows to the right, a heartbreaking scene unfolds: women draped in flowing silks collapse in grief, one hiding her face while another cradles children, knowing that whatever the outcome of the coming battle, they will lose someone they love. This is Le Serment des Horaces (The Oath of the Horatii), Jacques-Louis David's revolutionary painting that would help topple a monarchy.

A Family Torn Apart by Honor

The story behind this masterpiece reads like a tragic opera. Picture ancient Rome locked in conflict with the neighboring city of Alba Longa, but instead of sending entire armies to slaughter, the cities make a deadly pact: let three brothers from each side fight to the death, winner takes all. The Roman champions are the Horatii brothers, and their opponents are the Curiatii brothers from Alba Longa.

But here's where David's genius for drama shines—these aren't just any families. The bonds between them run deep and tragic: one of the Horatii sisters is married to a Curiatii brother, while another sister is engaged to one of their enemies. The woman in white who weeps so desperately? She's caught in an impossible nightmare, mourning for both her Curiatii fiancé and her own brother who might die in battle. The woman in brown faces an equally cruel fate—she's a Curiatii sister married to one of the Horatii men, watching her husband prepare to potentially kill her own brothers.

David invented this specific oath-taking moment—it doesn't appear in the original Roman sources. He wanted to capture the precise instant when private love collides with public duty, when the tender bonds of family shatter against the hard demands of patriotism.

The Painting That Predicted a Revolution

When David completed this masterpiece in 1785, he had no idea he was painting a prophecy. Commissioned by King Louis XVI himself, the painting was meant to celebrate loyalty to the state and monarchy. But David had other ideas brewing in his revolutionary mind.

The timing was explosive—just four years before the French Revolution would tear through France like a hurricane. As political tensions mounted and Enlightenment ideas spread, paintings like this began promoting a dangerous new concept: loyalty to the state should come before loyalty to family, church, or even king. The irony is delicious—the very king who commissioned this painting would later find himself on the scaffold, accused of treason, with David himself voting for the royal execution.

The painting became "one of the defining images" of the revolutionary period. Those three brothers, standing resolute and unwavering in their patriotic duty, became symbols of the new French citizen—willing to sacrifice everything for the nation. David's "simple yet powerful use of tonal contrasts" gave the work an "electric intensity" that perfectly captured the revolutionary spirit building in France.

A Royal Commission Gone Rogue

David painted this colossal work (measuring over 10 by 14 feet) during his second stay in Rome between 1784 and 1785. He had won the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1774, which gave him five years of government-sponsored study in the Eternal City. But when he returned to Paris and married into wealth (his father-in-law was a building contractor), King Louis XVI granted him the ultimate artist's privilege—a studio in the Louvre itself.

The king's assistant, Charles-Claude Flahaut de la Billaderie, commissioned the work expecting a straightforward allegory about royal loyalty. Instead, David departed completely from the agreed-upon scene and painted this oath of brotherhood that would eventually inspire revolutionaries. Talk about artistic rebellion!

When David first exhibited the painting in Rome, even the Pope requested a viewing. Back in Paris, David's enemies at the Academy tried to sabotage the work by displaying it in a poor location, but public outrage forced them to move it to a prominent spot. The painting was an instant sensation, copied by artists across Europe, and David's studio became known jokingly as "the Studio of the Horatii".

The Master of Neoclassical Drama

Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825) revolutionized European painting with his bold neoclassical style. Born in Paris, he became the leading figure of a movement that rejected the frivolous romantic scenes popular at the time in favor of morally charged subjects from ancient history.

This royal commission was David's breakthrough moment—his chance to "make a name for himself" and establish his reputation. He succeeded spectacularly, creating a work that "put him at the forefront of the neoclassical movement". The painting's success allowed him to take on his own students and become one of the most influential artists of his generation.

David's artistic journey would mirror France's political upheaval. From royal painter to revolutionary, from creating propaganda for the Republic to later serving as Napoleon's court artist, David's career spanned one of the most turbulent periods in French history. But it all began with this oath—three brothers reaching for their swords, unknowingly reaching toward revolution itself.

And that's it!

If you have any details you think Perplexity left out, reply to this email and I'll adjust my prompt to nudge it to include it next time.

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Thanks for reading!

-JP

Current prompt: I want you to create a newsletter post describing the fun and exciting stories around a painting. It should be a newsletter read for leisure and should be an enjoyable read (not just a list of facts) here's what you’re gonna do: Find the name of the following painting in its original language and any alternative names it goes by. Then Research the painting and give me blurb telling me all you can about the artist, the historical context/events it was created in, the style, the materials used, the composition and visual elements, the story/underlying message, what inspired the work/what it meant to the author, and whatever other info you find that helps give a complete understanding of the work. A description of what is depicted (mention subjects) should be the first thing, while the “biography” of the artist should be last. if the work has a lot of meaning behind it, then that is what the meat of the newsletter should be. Besides that you are free to present the information in a concise and captivating way, with the most interesting and novel stuff closest to the top. Order the presentation of information for which pieces have the most compelling and interesting story to tell. At least some of the description should be formatted like a story. [for example: a couple sits on a bench watching the sunset while a man next to them…]. ONLY include information that is for THIS SPECIFIC PAINTING. you will find info on paintings similar to this one but NOT this one. OMMIT INFO ABOUT SUCH PIECES. remember, the goal is to make the most compelling, intriguing, and fun to read newsletter as possible, so keep that above all else.