The Other Marat
by Don McCunn
Title
The Other Marat
Artist
Don McCunn
Medium
Photograph
Description
The subject of Jacques-Louis David’s painting, 'Death of Marat,' Jean-Paul Marat, was a radical journalist and politician during the French Revolution. Suffering violent itching from a skin disease he probably contracted while hiding in the sewers of Paris, he frequently sought the comfort of a cold bath, and he laid a board across the tub to serve as his desk.
Marat was writing at this desk when Charlotte Corday called on the pretext of giving him information about his enemies’ activities. Over his wife’s worried protests, Marat admitted Corday, who thrust a five-inch kitchen knife into his chest. Within minutes, he died from massive bleeding.
In memorializing his friend’s death, the artist chose to leave out the women and to portray the knife lying on the floor instead of in Marat’s chest. There is also no blood.
'The Other Marat' considers the fate of his wife.
(Excerpt from the book 'Revisiting the Classics.')
Uploaded
April 23rd, 2013
Embed
Share
Comments
There are no comments for The Other Marat. Click here to post the first comment.