Some paintings are magnetic. Which painting is magnetic is different for each of us. There is something about the work that appeals to us when a painting captures our minds. One such painting for me is The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David painted in 1793. When I look at it, I see him, I see Marat’s humanity and fragility.
Below is a very short summary of Marat’s life and influence in France’s politics. Of course there are more details about his life that I am not including here.
Marat was a journalist among other things. Well read and educated, he was the physician of Louis XVI youngest brother. He also experimented with electricity and light. Though some of his work had been recognized by the Royal Academy of Rouen, he was not elected to be part of the Academy of Sciences. As the French Revolution started to take form, Marat published a pamphlet stating that he believed that the monarchy could solve France’s problem. Only to publish a supplement shortly after criticizing the king for neglecting the needs of the country. However, he did not believe in the British system of government as proposed by some as an alternative for France.
He became more and more critical of the monarchy and its advisors. Had to flee the country for a bit. He came back since his fame offered him some protection. He continued writing criticizing moderate revolutionaries and other exiles who were financing counter revolutionary efforts.
After his views changed, he publicly denounced the king and the National Assembly for refusing to depose the king. Eventually he also became a member of the National Convention. He was now very popular and seen as a symbol of the radical faction in France. His death came at the same time the radicals triumphed over their conservative opponents. After his death some considered him a martyr for the cause of the people of France.
Marat’s views changed from supporting the monarchy to embracing radical positions including supporting mass executions. He believed them to be a “a righteous indignation of the oppressed masses”. His role in the events leading to the French Revolution remain contentious. Some consider him a hero and others consider him responsible for the “Reign of Terror”.
Twenty four year old, Charlotte Corday blamed Marat for the September Massacres. The September Massacres is known to be a week of executions where approximately 1,176 were killed. She planned his death to be in public but had to change plans and thus went to his house to kill him in his bathtub.
But, how did she gained access? The summer of 1793 had been a particularly hot summer. Marat suffered from a skin condition which forced him to spend a lot of time in the tub to find relief. These two factors caused him to spend more time in the tub. She came to his house seeking his help. Though Charlotte was persistent and often turned away, this one time, she claimed to have information of traitors, which presumably Marat could not resist to have them all guillotined. (Other accounts state that she came to plead Marat for the life of her comrades). At the particular moment of her visit, he was working on a correction for his paper. With a 5” knife she kills him. No need for a second stab.
Even though he is painted covered in all these sheets one can hardly consider the bathtub his office. Maybe it is my modern mind but I would assume that even though he spent a lot of time working from the tub covered in robes, it is still an intimate space.
Can you imagine this moment? Think through the particulars. Two people with political differences. One a 50 year old famous journalist and former physician. The other a 24 year old woman anonymous by all accounts. She could have been anyone with her drive and resolute thinking. I imagine no one suspected her. One supporting radical and violent rhetoric. The other, who was not a reactionary considered Marat “the anarchist in chief” of France’s political disarray.
Did he try to defend himself? Did she overpower him? How? Or maybe his skin was in so much pain that he would move too slowly? Or was he too weak? Because the painting does not indicate a sign of struggle. Did she try to talk in such a way to gain physical proximity and that gave her an advantage? I ask myself these questions.
I feel for both of them. Perhaps because I have to spend time in my tub soaking as I call it, to ease my muscles. I can almost feel his pain in that tub. Or perhaps it is because I consider how young she was but in that youth I can also see her brilliance. She was underestimated for sure. It is said that in the trial, she was asked how could she kill him with one stabbing? She considered herself a patriot. But he also considered himself a patriot. Yet, he was, if not the architect, one of the voices behind the mass executions.
Neoclassical paintings usually tell stories. Often they depict a situation, a moment, a scene, where there are no answers necessarily. A situation is presented to the viewer to consider and reflect. The Death of Marat is to me an example of two opposing political sides who seemed to be beyond dialogue and its consequences. As I look and hear about the polarization of the rhetoric in our society, I wonder if we are approaching a moment in time where a lack dialogue is the ruling order of things.
Love,
Alma
References
Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, "Jacques-Louis David, The Death of Marat," in Smarthistory, January 7, 2016, accessed June 8, 2025, https://smarthistory.org/jacques-louis-david-the-death-of-marat/.
Vidalenc, J. "Jean-Paul Marat." Encyclopedia Britannica, May 20, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jean-Paul-Marat.
Lewis, Thomas Tandy. “Jean Paul Marat.” EBSCO, 2022. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/history/jean-paul-marat.
The death of Marat (2025) Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Marat (Accessed: 08 June 2025).
Lyons, Matthew. “A Patriotic Murder.” History Today, June 6, 2022. https://www.historytoday.com/archive/months-past/patriotic-murder.
For more on Marat’s life, please see this video by Sir Simon Michael Schama: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7tpsau. It is incredibly enlightening. Thank you to my friend Dr. Christina Lindeman, professor of Art History at the University of South Alabama. https://www.southalabama.edu/colleges/artsandsci/art/lindeman.html.