The Death of Tatius

Anne-Louis Girodet painted The Death of Tatius around 1788, a historical subject from the early Roman tradition depicting the assassination of Romulus's Sabine co-king. The early painting demonstrates his command of classical figure composition within the Davidian tradition of Neoclassical history painting before the more personal, romantic direction of his mature style had fully emerged. The violent subject — the armed assassination of a ruler — was standard academic material for demonstrating competence in the dramatic multi-figure action composition, and Girodet's treatment shows both the competence of his training and the early signs of the theatrical intensity that would characterize his more original later work.

Girodet arranges the violent scene with Neoclassical clarity, using strong diagonals and dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. The sculptural modeling of the figures and the precise architectural setting show the influence of David's teaching.