Second Enlightenment Resource: Jacques-Louis David, The Oath of the Horatti

[[This Neoclassic masterpiece by Jacques-Louis David exemplifies many of the ideals of the Enlightenment. The frozen quality and clear, precise lines of the painting show the Enlightenment's stress on rationality, clear thinking, and logic. The stoicism of the men also points to how Enlightenment thinkers generally believed in separating the emotional and sentimental from everyday life. In addition to providing the image of the painting itself for our analysis, this source mentions the context in which David created this work. It provides just enough information to help a researcher use background knowledge about the Enlightenment and draw conclusions about the parallels between the Roman story behind the Horatii and, as it says, "the contemporary struggle for liberty in France." ]] [["Oath of the Horatii." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 24 Sep. 2008 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/423536/Oath-of-the-Horatii>.]]