Minerva Fighting Mars
Painting by Jacques-Louis David
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Minerva Fighting Mars (Combat de Mars contre Minerve) is an oil-on-canvas painting created in 1771 by the French artist Jacques-Louis David and now in the Louvre.
| Minerva Fighting Mars | |
|---|---|
| |
| Artist | Jacques-Louis David |
| Year | 1771 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 114 cm × 140 cm (45 in × 55 in) |
| Location | Musée du Louvre, Paris |
History
David produced the painting to compete for the Prix de Rome of 1771. For the competition, he and the seven other participating artists were assigned the task of painting a new work in 10 weeks on a set subject, which that year was the Iliad. David's painting was awarded the second prize as the Prix de Rome was given to Joseph-Benoît Suvée.[1] David believed that harsh criticism of his work by his teacher Joseph-Marie Vien had caused the prize to be awarded to an inferior painter, and became disgruntled with the academy, which he considered to be a dishonest institution.[2] In 1774, David finally won the competition on his fourth attempt with Erasistratus Discovering the Cause of Antiochus' Disease.[1]
