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La morte di Socrate

Jacques Louis David French

1787

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 634

A Socrate, accusato dal governo ateniese di aver rinnegato gli dei e corrotto i giovani con i suoi insegnamenti, fu offerta la scelta di rinunciare alle sue credenze oppure di essere condannato a morte bevendo la cicuta. David lo ha raffigurato mentre discute tranquillamente dell’immortalità dell’anima con i suoi discepoli affranti dal dolore. Il dipinto, che per il tema si basa liberamente sul Fedone di Platone, è forse la migliore espressione del neoclassicismo di David. Il tipografo ed editore John Boydell scrisse a Sir Joshua Reynolds che si trattava della “più grande impresa pittorica dai tempi della Cappella Sistina e delle stanze di Raffaello. . . Quest’opera sarebbe stata degna di Atene ai tempi di Pericle”.

#5184. La morte di Socrate

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The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas — Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

The Death of Socrates, Jacques Louis David (French, Paris 1748–1825 Brussels), Oil on canvas

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Fig. 1. Herm of Socrates, from a Greek original of the second half of the 4th century B.C., marble, 54.8 cm (Musei Capitolini, Rome; MC 0508). Possible source for David's figure.

Fig. 2. Infrared reflectogram (see Technical Notes)

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Fig. 3. Picture in frame: overall

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Fig. 4. Painting in frame: corner

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Fig. 5. Painting in frame: angled corner

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Fig. 6. Profile drawing of frame. W 7 11/16 in. 19.6 cm (T. Newbery)

Titolo: La morte di Socrate

Artista: Jacques-Louis David, Francese, 1748-1825

Data: 1787

Materiale e tecnica: Olio su tela

Dimensioni: 129,5 x 196,2 cm

Crediti: Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection, Wolfe Fund, 1931

Numero d'inventario: 31.45

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European Paintings at The Met

The Met's celebrated European Paintings collection encompasses more than 2,500 works of art from the thirteenth through the early twentieth century.