The Metropolitan Museum of Art ONLINE Curatorial Conversation

Drawing in Radical Times: Artists in the Orbit of Jacques Louis David

Perrin Stein, Curator “The Formation of a Rebel: Drawings of Anne Louis Girodet”

Ashley E. Dunn, Associate Curator “Women Artists in David’s Orbit: Traces in The Met Collection”

Femke Speelberg, Associate Curator “Style Matters: The Politics of Design in the Age of David (1748-1825)”

The topic of this curatorial conversation is inspired by the current installation at The Met, In the Orbit of Jacques Louis David: Selections from the Department of Drawings and Prints. This installation highlights the broad range of accomplishments of artists working at the same time as French painter Jacques Louis David (1748-1825). Whether they emulated his manner or sought their own paths, shared his political beliefs or condemned them, artists of this period could hardly escape the impact of David’s work.

Works on view by David’s peers, pupils, and rivals explore the creativity and capacity for transformation that marked this vital period that spanned the last years of the French monarchy, the Revolution, the rise of Napoleon, and ultimately, the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. The fast pace of political change accentuated the intertwined nature of art and politics, which permeated all levels of artistic production-from large-scale paintings to the decorative arts and fashion-as this selection of drawings and prints attests.

Three curators from The Met will present topics based on the artists and culture that were influenced by David. This presentation and the installation In the Orbit of Jacques Louis David are intended to complement the upcoming exhibition at The Met, Jacques Louis David: Radical Draftsman, on view February 17 – May 15, 2022

Zoom events and recordings for all MDNY 2022 events are managed by Drawing America.
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This event is Sponsored by CHRISTIE’S