Women and Children in War: The Oath of the Horatii (Jacques-Louis David, 1784)

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

The Oath of the Horatii (Jacques-Louis David, 1784)

In The Oath of the Horatii, Jacques-Louis David used a clean and simple style, instead of following the intricate aristocratic style of Rococo art, thereby marking the beginning of Neo-classical art. In the painting, David portrayed a scene where the Horatii of Rome brothers are swearing their loyalty to their country in front of their father, before going to a battle with the Curatii brothers of Alba. The people of Rome and Alba have chosen those two families to stop the continued warfare between the two countries. However, the two families are tied by marriage: Sabrina is the sister of the Curatii but also the wife of the oldest Horatii, while Camilla is sister of the Horatii and betrothed to one of the Curatii (“The Oath of the Horatii”).

Because of the complicated connection between the two families, the women in the painting seem to be in great despair. While the men are determined to be heroes and bring glory to their country, the women are grieving over the safety of their loved ones. The young women at the far right of the painting are heartbroken, because their lovers are going to be killed, or at least significantly wounded, by their brother-in-laws. The mother of the Horatii, in the shadow next to the young women, is extremely worried about her sons, but also has to comfort her innocent infants. The young children, caressed by their mother, do not seem to fully understand what is going on, but they are still concerned about the lives of their older brothers. The women and children seem extremely vulnerable and emotional when compared to the men: the firm and muscular bodies of the men are standing upright in the geometrical room filled with harsh, straight lines, while the women are either sitting or crouching on the floor, looking almost “melted.” With that obvious contrast, David showed his viewers “the role of women in wars”: to be devastated by the dangers their men face.

“The Oath of the Horatii.” Aaron Art Prints. 27 April 2011. <http://www.aaronartprints.org/david-theoathofthehoratii.php>.

“The Oath of the Horatii.” Louvre. 27 April 2011. <http://www.louvre.fr/llv/oeuvres/detail_notice_popup.jsp?CONTENT%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673225718&CURRENT_LLV_NOTICE%3C%3Ecnt_id=10134198673225718&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=9852723696500815&bmLocale=en>.

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Introduction

Men generally get all the attention in wars, because they are usually the brave ones fighting on the battlefields; women and children are generally neglected, because they are seen as “weak” and in need of “protection.” However, many overlook the struggles and dangers the women and children face when the men are away. Women who are left behind not only have to worry about the safety of their husbands, but also have to protect the lives of their children and themselves, since they are often the victims of war; and children usually deal with the disadvantage of growing up without a father to protect and advise them. This blog will reveal a new side of war by focusing on the emotions of the women and children in time of war.

Link to Ariana's Blog

Ariana’s Femininity in Propaganda is another blog that focuses on the role of women during wars. In Ariana’s blog, she included five propagandas that concentrate on the female gender. The first propaganda, “Rosie the Riveter”, shows how the role of women in war changed. Before, women’s job was only to take care of the family while the men were away; but now, women can join the army and fight side-by-side with the men. The second photograph, "Miliciana de Waswalito", also shows how women can take on many different responsibilities. Women can now fight for their country and nurture their children; they were not the “weak” anymore.

In contrast, the next three propagandas are all encouraging men to enroll, so they can protect their women and children. The painters of “Enlist”, “Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist”, and “Keep these hands off”, are suggesting that women and children are frail and pathetic and that they should just stay under the protective wings of their men. Although she narrowed her focus on women in war propagandas, the overall theme of Ariana’s blog is intently connected to that of this blog.

Link to Chloe's Blog

Many art pieces in Chloe’s blog, Time to Say Goodbye, are directly related to the theme women and children in war. In particular, the painting “Woman with Dead Child” has a very similar connotation to “The Mothers”. Kathe Kollwitz, the creator of both pieces, used her own heart-breaking experience to express the grief and mourning of a mother who has lost her child. The mother in the painting represents all the women who have lost their family members because of war; Kathe Kollwitz wanted the world to notice how miserable the women felt after their men left to go to war.

The photo “V-J Day in Times Square”, like “Burst of Joy”, shows how happy and relieved the people were, after the end of the war. Using Chloe’s words, the embrace “represents saying goodbye to isolation, death, and fear. While many families would never be united again, most people celebrated the return of the soldiers, because they saw the opportunity to finally start a new chapter of their lives. Even though the overall theme of Time to Say Goodbye is not closely connected to that of this blog, many art pieces in her blog are parallel to the theme of women and children in war.