The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David

E854

Neoclassical painting painting

The Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David is a renowned 1787 Neoclassical painting that dramatically depicts the philosopher Socrates calmly preparing to drink hemlock as a symbol of moral integrity and devotion to reason.

Aliases (2)

The Death of Socrates ×48
the death of Socrates ×1

Statements (48)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Neoclassical painting → painting →
artStyle	classical composition → linear style →
artworkType	oil on canvas →
basedOn	Apology of Socrates → Crito → Phaedo →
collection	The Metropolitan Museum of Art European Paintings collection →
colorPalette	restrained palette →
commissionedBy	Charles-Michel Trudaine de la Sablière →
countryOfOrigin	France →
creator	Jacques-Louis David →
depicts	Crito → Plato → Socrates → Socrates drinking hemlock → cup of hemlock → disciples of Socrates → prison cell → the death of Socrates →
exhibitedAt	Salon of 1787 →
genre	history painting →
height	129.5 cm →
historicalEventDepicted	execution of Socrates →
iconography	Socrates pointing upward → Socrates reaching for the cup → weeping disciples →
inception	1787 →
influencedBy	ancient Greek art → classical philosophy →
languageOfTitle	French →
location	The Metropolitan Museum of Art →
mainSubject	devotion to reason → moral integrity → philosophical martyrdom →
materialUsed	oil paint →
movement	Neoclassicism →
museumCity	New York City →
museumCountry	United States →
notableFor	dramatic yet restrained composition → emphasis on moral virtue and reason →
originalTitle	La Mort de Socrate →
philosophicalTheme	conflict between individual conscience and the state → rational acceptance of death →
surface	canvas →
timePeriodDepicted	Classical Athens →
width	196.2 cm →

Referenced by (2)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
The Death of Socrates ("the death of Socrates") →	depicts
Metropolitan Museum of Art →	notableWorkHeld