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82nd & Fifth: FAMILY by Perrin Stein

82nd & Fifth: FAMILY by Perrin Stein
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In this work, David depicts Brutus--the Roman who famously ordered the execution of his sons when they were found guilty of treason--along with his wife and daughters. Rather than showing the execution or tribunal, he illustrates the gut-wrenching domestic aftermath. "I think David got at some essential aspect of being a parent," says curator Perrin Stein.

Before painting his iconic canvas, "The Lictors Bringing Brutus the Bodies of His Sons" in 1789, Jacques Louis David spent several years crafting the composition through a series of drawn studies. Compare the painting with the drawings through four striking juxtapositions.

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