I am trying to analyze the painting " the death of socrates"...?

Question

i need to help in explaining the importance and significance of the painting. i know that socrates died for what he stand for but how do i understand its significance? its overall composition and so forth....pls help =)

Answer 1

"By contrasting the movements of the energetic but firmly controlled Socrates, and his swooning disciples, through the distribution of light and dark accents, [Jacques-Louis] David transforms what might have been only a fashionable picture of martyrdom to a clarion call for nobility and self-control even in the face of death.

Here the philosopher continues to speak even while reaching for the cup, demonstrating his indifference to death and his unyielding commitment to his ideals. Most of his disciplines and slaves swirl around him in grief, betraying the weakness of emotionalism. His wife is seen only in the distance leaving the prison. Only Plato, at the foot of the bed and Crito grasping his master's leg, seem in control of themselves.

For contemporaries the scene could only call up memories of the recently abandoned attempt at reform, the dissolution of the Assembly of Notables in 1787, and the large number of political prisoners in the king's jails or in exile. David certainly intended this scene as a rebuke to cringing souls. On the eve of the Revolution, this picture served as a trumpet call to duty, and resistance to unjust authority."
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/neocl_dav_soc.html

Answer 2

In the painting all of the people surrounding Socrates are in great distress. Only Socrates appears to be in a 'celebratory' state of mind. Socrates looked forward to his own death. He felt this moment was the reason for his existence. This moment represented the pinnacle of his life. This moment validated everything Socrates believed in. He believed that living a life of virtue was more important than life itself. Accepting his own murder by the powers that be (rather than escaping as he had the chance to do) allowed him to prove to the world (and himself) that he truly believed in his beliefs! Obviously, his friends did not understand this positive view that Socrates felt about his own death. Socrates was celebrating death while all around him were mourning it.

Answer 3

Here are some things to notice: the chains that were around his legs are now open, symbolizing his release from his body. He is gesturing upwards, symbolizing his ascent to a higher realm. If you look carefully in the background, you can see his wife and children leaving. The dialogue Phaedo reports that Socrates sent them away because they were crying too much. However, Socrates male friends surround him, and they too are crying. Only Socrates is calm and resigned, fearless in the face of his death.