This is especially true of the figures he opted to include in the painting. Though this event actually happened, David took some artistic license when documenting it. According to Plato, after humbly thanking the Greek god of health for a peaceful death, Socrates “raised the cup to his lips and very cheerfully and quietly drained it.”
Using Plato's Phaedoas a reference, David captures the moment that Socrates-who had been sentenced to death by the Athenian courts for “impiety” and “corrupting the young”-is given poison hemlock to drink.Īs he willingly reaches for the cup, he continues to preach to his young followers, illustrating both his respect for the democratically reached decision and his dedication to philosophy. The Death of Socrates portrays the real-life execution of Socrates, a Greek philosopher who helped pioneer Western philosophy, in 399 BCE. 1st-2nd century (Photo: Wikimedia Commons CC BY 2.5)
0 kommentar(er)
