Marat assassinated.

A moving testimony to the French Revolution, Marat Assassinated (or The Death of Marat) is one of Jacques-Louis David's most famous paintings and among the most admired in the collections of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Executed in barely three months, the canvas pays homage to the journalist Jean-Paul Marat, a popular and feared revolutionary and member of the National Convention, assassinated by the young royalist Charlotte Corday on July 13, 1793. Far from illustrating a simple news item, David composes a work of propaganda and a modern pietà, elevating his friend to the rank of hero and martyr. This publication lifts a veil on the genesis and history of this masterpiece, using not only the historical context but also scientific imagery obtained during recent unprecedented laboratory research. Published as part of the exhibition "Marat Assassinated", this book offers an unprecedented approach to David's work in that it combines historical and contemporary perspectives, the authentic painting being presented alongside three workshop replicas and several current interpretations which underline its iconic value, and the debates it still provokes today.