The Death of Caesar (The Roman Album) 1775 - 1780

Editor: This is Jacques-Louis David's "The Death of Caesar (The Roman Album)." It's a small ink drawing at the Harvard Art Museums. The scene is chaotic, and I'm immediately drawn to the violence depicted. What symbols do you see at play here? Curator: Note how Caesar's body, draped in classical robes, echoes images of sacrifice. The raised daggers become symbols not just of violence, but of perceived liberation from tyranny. Consider how this moment, depicted in such a way, becomes a potent image of both revolution and regicide. Do you see how this reflects back on David's own revolutionary era? Editor: So, the image isn't just about death, but about the cultural memory of revolution. Curator: Precisely! And how symbols can be reinterpreted and repurposed across time. It is a chilling reminder that the meaning we ascribe to images is fluid, shaped by history and our own biases.