Unknown Artist (French, early 19th century)
after Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748-1825)
Loveless Disarming Himself
INV-4008
Unknown Artist (French, early 19th century)
after Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748-1825)after 1824
Loveless Disarming Himself
Unknown Artist (French, early 19th century) after Jacques-Louis David (French, 1748-1825) →lithographprint
Date
after 1824
Medium
Lithograph in black on white wove paper
Dimensions
25.7 × 39.4 cm (10 1/8 × 15 9/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
John H. Wrenn Memorial Collection
The satirical target of this unruly lithograph is Jacques-Louis David’s final history painting, Mars Disarmed by Venus and the Three Graces (1824; Royal Museums of Fine Arts, Brussels). The god of war in David’s composition has been transformed into a weary French officer, the nubile goddesses into prostitutes pilfering his battle gear, and the classical, cloud-borne couch into a cheap brothel. As an additional insult, the sign at right offers “Bierre de Mars,” a spring brew rumored to inspire military volunteers.