Death of Socrates

The Death of Socrates scene, which was completed by Jacques-Louis David in 1787, has a strong emotional impression by the artist, and is known as one of the most important paintings of the painter. Today, New York has many meanings in these painting details, which are exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Socrates, known for his heroic defense of his ideals to the end, was one of the most important philosophers of Ancient Greece. Since he spoke his ideals fearlessly, he had an impact on many people at that time. Socrates, which appealed to more and more audiences and even became a role model imitated by young people, became a great danger since it refused to believe in the Greek Gods for that period. For this reason, Socrates, who was tried in the Athens court, was expected to deny and digest his ideas, but on the contrary, he fearlessly said before the court that he was shouting that he knew the truth. As a result, he was sentenced to death on the allegation that the society mocked and devalued his values. Socrates, who was determined to die with poison, was sacrificed to Greek politics of that period. He tried to be persuaded many times by his sons and students to give up his ideas, but he strictly rejected this attitude. For this reason, in those years in revolutionary France, he was inspired by many people and became a very popular idol. When he was convicted to death unfairly, he was willing to die for his ideals instead of rejecting or fleeing what he believed. The revolutionaries in those years saw this movement as a depiction of an uprising, and even if it resulted in death, they turned the right one into an image of defense. This canvas was ordered by the Trudaine Brothers who will be the pioneer of the French revolution. The painter, on the other hand, read the sections from Plato's book from Phaidon to give the emotion and described this immortal moment for us.

Facial expression and body movements at the moment when Socrates took the poison give us many clues. Socrates, whose execution will take place in seconds, has an honorable expression on his face, while his body language states that he is not afraid of death. As Plato describes this scene in his book, he expresses that at that moment Socrates made a speech about the immortality of the soul.

While Socrates is given the poison, we see Plato sitting at the end of his bed in a great sorrow, with his back to talk. Despite the many people around him, we notice that Plato is not far from him and is not active. We realize that this attitude is desperately accepted because he knows Socrates very well and Socrates has already made his decision.

While Socrates made his last speech, we see his student Crito, who grasped his leg and tried to dissuade him from this idea. When we look at the picture in detail, we realize that Socrates had eye contact with Crito. This description is the focal point of the scene as it creates contrast with such a strong character in order to increase the dramatization of the painting. Trying to be persuaded by his student, Socrates' decision is already felt on his face.

One of the important parts of the picture is that we see a group of people leaving the place and waving goodbye to her husband for the last time. Socrates could not bear to see people with painful eyes at this moment when his life would be terminated and he asked his relatives to leave the place while poison was given.