Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825). French painter. David lived in a time of political turmoil that affected not only our existence, but also his paintings. Indeed, they predetermined the motives of his paintings. He adapted to the times – during the monarchy, he painted members of the royal family, during the revolutionary republic and in the era of the French Empire, he made portraits of Napoleon. He was attracted by the ideal of beauty of ancient art, and he subordinated his composition and sophistication to this ideal. His work is accurate, error-free, compositionally and technically perfect. He uses light and colour curtly. His paintings helped establish the French Classicist school and became a precursor of romanticism.