The directory «Artists»

Le Barbier Jean-Jacques-François
(1738—1828)

Like other artists of his time, Jean-Jacques François Le Barbier rejected the lighthearted grace of the Rococo in favor of the straightforward severity of Neoclassicism. His subjects, often vignettes from Greek and Roman mythology and history, served as illustrations for the newfound morality and patriotism of the French during and after the Revolution. In this work, the characters enact a Spartan woman’s traditional farewell to a departing warrior, "Return with your shield or on it." All elements of the painting reinforce its message: the babies playing with the warrior’s lance allude to Spartan military training, which began in infancy. The simplicity of the stone-walled interior underscores the austerity of Spartan existence, while the dog is both a symbol of fidelity and a reference to the famed dogs of Sparta.

Nicaragua, 1989, La Marseillaise