Le philosophe

1775–1780

Meets Mengs and encounters Winckelmann’s ideas

In Italy he met Anton Raphael Mengs, an advocate of the careful study of classical sources, who also introduced him to the theoretical writings of his friend Winckelmann; Mengs shaped David’s pre-revolutionary paintings, such as “The Vestal Virgin.”

October 1775 – July 1780

Pensionnaire at the French Academy in Rome

In October 1775 he left for Italy with his mentor Vien, who had just been appointed director of the French Academy in Rome; he studied Poussin, Caravaggio and the Carracci, filled twelve sketchbooks, and in July 1780, after his stay was extended by a year, returned to Paris.

1779

The ruins of Pompeii

He toured the newly excavated ruins of Pompeii, which deepened his belief in the lasting power of classical culture.

1781

First Salon: “Belisarius Begging for Alms”

For “Belisarius” he was admitted on 24 August 1781 as an associate of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture; after the Salon the King granted him lodgings in the Louvre, a prized privilege of great artists.