Editing Jacques-Louis David (section)

==Post-revolution==
[[File:The Intervention of the Sabine Women - David (Louvre INV 3691).jpg|thumb|left|''[[The Intervention of the Sabine Women]]'' (1799)]]
After David's wife visited him in jail, he conceived the idea of telling the story of the [[rape of the Sabine women]]. ''The Sabine Women Enforcing Peace by Running between the Combatants'', also called ''The Intervention of the Sabine Women'' is said to have been painted to honor his wife, with the theme being love prevailing over conflict. The painting was also seen as a plea for the people to reunite after the bloodshed of the revolution,<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1992|pp=90–112}}.</ref> especially since, in a private exhibition of the painting, the artist used a large mirror in his installation so that spectators could view themselves within the reflection of the work.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lajer-Burcharth |first1=Ewa |title=David's Sabine Women: Body, Gender and Republican Culture Under the Directory |journal=Art History |date=1991 |volume=14 |issue=3 |page=410}}</ref>

David conceived a new style for this painting, one which he called the "Pure Greek Style", as opposed to the "Roman style" of his earlier historical paintings. The new style was influenced heavily by the work of art historian [[Johann Joachim Winckelmann]]. In David's words, "the most prominent general characteristics of the Greek masterpieces are a noble simplicity and silent greatness in pose as well as in expression."<ref>{{Harvnb|Roberts|1992|pp=90–115}}.</ref> Instead of the muscularity and angularity of the figures of his past works, these were smoother, more feminine, and painterly.

This work also brought him to the attention of [[Napoleon]]. The story for the painting is as follows: "The Romans have abducted the daughters of their neighbors, the Sabines. To avenge this abduction, the Sabines attacked Rome, although not immediately—since Hersilia, the daughter of Tatius, the leader of the Sabines, had been married to [[Romulus]], the Roman leader, and then had two children by him in the interim. Here we see Hersilia between her father and husband as she adjures the warriors on both sides not to take wives away from their husbands or mothers away from their children. The other Sabine Women join in her exhortations."

During this time, the martyrs of the Revolution were taken from the Pantheon and buried in common ground, and revolutionary statues were destroyed. When David was finally released to the country, France had changed. His wife managed to get him released from prison, and he wrote letters to his former wife, and told her he never ceased loving her. He remarried her in 1796. Finally, wholly restored to his position, he retreated to his studio, took pupils and for the most part retired from politics.

In August 1796, David and many other artists signed a petition orchestrated by [[Quatremère de Quincy]] which questioned the wisdom of the planned seizure of works of art from Rome. The Director Barras believed that David was "tricked" into signing, although one of David's students recalled that in 1798 his master lamented the fact that masterpieces had been imported from Italy.