DAVID JACQUES-LOUIS: (1748-1825) French Painter. Widely considered the preeminent painter of the Ancien Regime era ...

DAVID JACQUES-LOUIS: (1748-1825) French Painter. Widely considered the preeminent painter of the Ancien Regime era, he headed the French Republic and Napoleon«s time too developing his Empire style. David supported the French Revolution, was friend of Maximilien Robespierre and Jean-Paul Marat and author of Marat AssassinŽ, (''The Death of Marat'' (1793). He voted in favour of the King«s execution. A very rare and lengthy extremely interesting A.L.S., `David«, four fully written pages, small writing, small 4to, n.p., [Paris], 24th December 1792, to Franois Jean-Baptiste Topino-Lebrun, in French. The present letter was written at the time David was a member of the National Convention. David states in part `I have read your letter to the Convention Nationale. It has pleased a lot. It has made all of them shudder with indignation. I have immediately ordered an Executice Committee meeting in order to approve prompt decisions to stop the wrath«s of the Inquisition. You are aware of the sharp letter that the Ministers have written to the PopeÉThe Pope has quickly liberated Chinard and Rater from prison. He has been lucky having a warm friend as you are, and I would also say a lover of human being as I am.« further referring to his meeting with the minister, saying `Who did they appoint? Who? Guess? SuvŽe, the horrible aristocrat SuvŽe. The ignoramus SuvŽe. What did I do?..« David further refers to Rome stating `I have ordered an inventory of all portraits and Royal paintings showing the King, Princes and Princesses, shown at the Academy of France, and to put down the throne, and that the beautiful apartments used by the Director are turned into workshops for the pensioners..« David refers in his letter to Jean Antoine Giroust (1753-1817) and Franois Pascal Simon (1770-1837) Baron Gerard, French painters. Letters of David while he was Convention Deputy, 1792-94, are very rare and desirable. VG £6000-9000 Franois Topino-Lebrun (1764-1801) French Painter and Revolutionary. Pupil of David. Jury of the Revolutionary Tribunal. Joseph-Benoit SuvŽe (1743-1807) Belgian Painter. David hated him.