Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 05.djvu/936

* DAVID. 812 DAVID. and to him Mendelssohn presented the MS., which now belongs to David's family. DAVID, dii'viH, GiiEER.^DT (1450-1523). A Flemish painter, born at Oudewaler. Although his name was Icnown to early Flemish writers, it was forgotten in later times until it was discov- ered bj- Jlr. Weale that a triptych in the ilu- seum of Rouen was painted by him in 1509. He lived chieriy in Bruges, where we find him as a member of the Painters' Guild in 148-1, and where most of his works were executed. In 1515 he entered the Painters' Guild of Antwerp. He died at Bruges on August 13. 1523. He was probably a pupil of Memling. to whom his pic- tures were formerl_y attributed, and he is the last of the school of the Van Eycks. Among his au- thenticated works are the "Baptism of Christ," in the Academy of Bruges: the "Virgin and Child, with Saints," an altar-piece in the Rouen INIuseuni : "The Descent from the Cross," a triptych in the Cliurch of Saint Basil in Bruges; and "Christ on the Cross." in the Berlin Mu- seum. His works are noted for their landscapes, which serve as a backgroimd. and for their com- position. Excellent in this regard are two paint- ings in the Museum of Bruges representing the ".Judgment of Cambyses." painted for the magis- tracy of that town in 14SS. Consult: Crowe and Cavaleaselle. Eiirly Finnish Pointers (London, 1872) : Conwav, Early Flemish Artists (Xew York, 1SS7). DAVID, da'ved', .Tacqi-es Lori-S (1748-1825). A Frencli historical painter. He was born in Paris, August 31, 1748. When Boucher was pros- tituting his art to gratify the depraved tastes of the French populace. David became his pupil: but Bouclier. recognizing the broad and noljle tendency of David's mind, wisely and honorably transferred him to the influence of Vien. After many struggles, David took the Prix de Rome with his picture. "Antiocluis and Stratonice." Arriving at Rome, he found the thoughts of all directed toward antiquity. German minds — that of Winckelmann, for example, and that of Les- sing — were also creating enthusiasm for Greek ideals of beauty. This view of art. widely differ- ent from that prevailing in France, impressed David, who was copying the classical master- pieces of the Vatican. Its influence upon him was first manifested after his return to Paris, in his picture, the "Plague of Saint Roche." jiainted in 1780. More than any other painter of his time, David, with his classical tendencies, represented the spirit of the age — the reaction against the frivolous immorality of monarchical France, and the return to the stern virtues of antiquitv. His "Oath of the Horatii" (1784) and "Brutus Con- demning His Sons to Death" (1789) were hailed with umversal applause. He became the great painter of the Revolution, and presented to the Convention, of which he was a leading spirit, the "Deathbed of Lepelletier," the first martyr of liberty. When Marat was assassinated, he was called by the Assembly to memorialize his death, and he responded with a painting in which the murdered man is portrayed with considerable naturalistic strength. Those of his works which represent what he himself lived and exjjerienccd are painted in this manner. The same is true of his portraits of the Revolutionary epoch, like those of Madame Recamier (Louvre), of Barrerc, and especially of the young Bonaparte. His chief masterpiece of the Napoleonic period was the colossal picture of the "Coronation of Napoleon I." (finished 1807, and now at Versailles). This is a stately composition, noble in color, and witb a tender, quivering light, justifying iluther's encomium of being the best historical painting of the past century. His portraits of this period, as, for example, those of the Emperor, the Pope, and Murat, are all of the highest naturalistic merit. Upon the restoration of the Bourbons, he was exiled to Brussels, where he died on the 29th of December, 1825. During his e.xile he painted the graceful portrait of the daughter of Joseph Bonaparte, and his "Three Fates," in the Praet collection. Brussels — three hideous old women, painted with keen realism and great pic- torial strength, in a manner almost worthy of Frans Hals. All of these works show a realistic talent of the first order, with high powers as a draughtsman and a eolorist. But this is not the only side, or even the best- kno side, of David's art. He was at heart an antiquarian, and most of his large canvases represent antique subjects. While these paint- ings show great excellence of drawing, they are cold in composition and coloring, exaggerated and theatrical in action. Besides those men- tioned above, the "Death of Socrates," "Belisa- rius Asking Alms" (1784). at Lille. "Leonidas at Thermopylse" (1814), the "Rape of the Sa- bines" (1799), are among the chief of this class of his paintings. These were the works which had the greatest influence upon his pupils. Throughout the Revolution and under the Em- pire, he was the supreme dictator of art in France, and his influence upon its development was very great. While he rescued it from the littleness and trivialities of the followers of Watteau. he established a despotism of classi- cism which had to be broken before there could be real progress. Nevertheless, he was in a way the regenerator of modern French art, and the accuracy of his drawing exercised a salutary influence upon its development. Consult: Stranahan, History of French Paint- ing (New York, 1899) : Muther, History of Modern Art. vol, ii. (London, 1890) ; Delecluze. J. L. David (Paris, 1855) ; Coupin, Essai sur J. L. Darid (Paris, 1827) ; Normand, "David," in | Les artiftes celcbres. DAVID, dii'vet, JoH.^•^-ES Baptista (1801- C6). A Flemish philologist, bora at Lier. Fori more than thirty years he held tlie chair of Bel- gian history and Flemish literature at the I Catholic University of Louvain. He was one [ of the greatest Flemish scholars of the century and a very prolific writer. His principal woik i- the famous Vaderlnndsche historic (10 vols. 1S42-G4; 4th ed. 1885 et seq. ). a complete his tory of Belgium. The most important of hisl linguistic works is entitled: Eerste bepinsclenj dcr nedcrdiiitsche spraelckunst (10th ed. 1858). DAVID, da'ved', LAtTiEXT Olivier (1842—). A Canadian journalist, bora at Sault au RecolletJ Quebec Province, was educated at the College of' Sainte Therfese. and was called to the bar iif 1864. From 1870 to 1884 he was editor ol L'Opinion PuWique : and he has also been atl difi'erent times connected with Lc Bicn PuhliA and La Tribune. He has sat in the Quebec LegiiJ lature for Montreal East, and from 1887 tif