With David we begin the style of Neo-Classicism which, in many ways, can be seen as the style of the Enlightenment. David was trained in the psuedo-classical style favored by the Royal Academy. He ultimately became the painter of the Revolution, and even served on the committee that voted for the beheading of the King (for which he would later serve time in jail). David was also friends with the leaders of the most violent phase of the Revolution (the Reign of Terror) like Robespierre and Marat.

After the Revolution, when Napoleon became Emporer of France, David served as the official painter of Napoleon, calling into question the sincerity of his political committment during the revolution.