This drawing is a somewhat unorthodox example of a compositional design, with only the figure of the seated Brutus and his dismayed fellow consul, Publius Valerius, worked to any degree of finish. The large sheet was likely done in the winter of 1785, after the Maison du Roi had identified twelve history painters who would be given commissions for the next Salon of 1787. David was included in the group who were to paint scenes from antiquity. As was his custom, he elaborated an ambitious and densely populated composition in an architectural setting inspired by his first trip to Rome. -- Exhibition Label, from "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection"
Signed at lower left, with initials of both Jules (Lugt 1437) and Eugène David (Lugt 839). Numbered in pen and brown ink on paper ticket affixed to original frame, "38" (its lot number in the 1826 sale).
Watermark: Clusters of grapes in a circle, surmounted by trefoil (cf. Heawood 2395).
Watermark: Countermark: Three lines of text, indecipherable; LVRI?NA / ?VEUN?
David, Jules, former owner.
David, Eugène, former owner.
Meunier, J., baronne, former owner.
Thaw, Eugene Victor, former owner.
Thaw, Clare, former owner.
The Morgan Library & Museum, New York, NY, "Drawn to Greatness: Master Drawings from the Thaw Collection", 2017. Exh. cat., no. 75, repr.
Denison, Cara D. et al. The Thaw Collection : Master Drawings and New Acquisitions. New York : Pierpont Morgan Library, 1994, no. 30.
100 Master drawings from the Morgan Library & Museum. München : Hirmer, 2008, no. 80, repr. [Jennifer Tonkovich]