Which artist painted Oath of the Horatii?

• A. David
• B. Degas
• C. Monet
• D. Cezanne

Answer: (A)

This question focuses on identifying the artist behind a famous Neoclassical painting that dramatizes civic virtue through a Roman oath. The work presents the Horatii brothers swearing an oath to defend Rome, with their father offering the swords while the women in the scene react with sorrow. The composition is austere and deliberate: a clear line of sight, a balanced triangular arrangement, and figures rendered with dignity and restraint to emphasize duty over emotion. These formal choices embody Neoclassical ideals—reason, civic virtue, and moral seriousness—pointing directly to Jacques-Louis David as the creator. Degas, Monet, and Cezanne are associated with other movements and different subjects, so they are not the artists of this painting.