“Oath of the Horatii” by Jacques-Louis David, 1784It depicts a scene from a Roman legend

“Oath of the Horatii” by Jacques-Louis David, 1784It depicts a scene from a Roman legend about a dispute between two warring cities; Rome and Alba Longa, when three brothers from a Roman family, the Horatii, agree to end the war by fighting three brothers from a family ofAlba Longa, the Curiatii. The three brothers, all of whom appear willing to sacrifice their lives for the good ofRome, are shown saluting their father who holds their swords out for them.[1] Of the three Horatii brothers, only one shall survive the confrontation. However, it is the surviving brother who is able to kill the other three fighters from Alba Longa: he chases the three fighters, causing them to separate from each other, and then, in turn, kills each Curiatii brother. Aside from the three brothers depicted, David also represents, in the bottom right corner, a woman crying whilst sat down. She is Camilla, a sister of the Horatii brothers, who is also married to one of the Curiatii fighters, and thus she weeps in the realisation that, in any case, she will lose someone she loves.The principal sources for the story behind David's Oath are the first book of Livy (sections 24-6) which was elaborated by Dionysius in book 3 of his Roman Antiquities.[2] However, the moment depicted in David’s painting is his own invention.[3](Translation: 18TH-CENTURY FANART) -- source link

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