David, Jacques Louis, dah VEED, zhahk lwee (1748-1825), was the leading French painter during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era. He painted primarily in the neoclassical style, which emphasizes solidly modeled forms, realistic details, and balanced composition. Neoclassicists often used subjects from ancient history to make observations about contemporary events. David's famous painting The Oath of the Horatii (1784) reflects neoclassical style and subject matter.