Leonidas at Thermopylae
Jacques-Louis David, 1814
Three hundred against Persia. David paints Leonidas as the last stand made into marble light.
About this work
Jacques-Louis David worked on Leonidas at Thermopylae for fifteen years, from 1799 to 1803 and again in 1813–14, with help from his pupil Georges Rouget. It is a huge canvas, 3.95 by 5.31 metres. The scene is the mountain pass of Thermopylae in 480 BC, just before the battle in which the Spartan king Leonidas and his small force held back the vastly larger army of the Persian king Xerxes for three days. Leonidas sits at the centre, calm, surrounded by soldiers preparing for a fight they know they cannot survive. David returned to the subject as allied European armies were invading France to topple Napoleon, and found in Leonidas's sacrifice an image of patriotic courage. Napoleon had earlier criticised the static poses of David's Sabine Women, and David's response here was a crowded, theatrical scene built on classical ideals of male beauty and virtue. In November 1819 King Louis XVIII bought the painting, together with The Intervention of the Sabine Women, for 100,000 francs. Both now hang in the Louvre.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia: Battle of Thermopylae
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 4,892 × 3,626 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 32 × 24 in
- Sizes
- Small (20 × 15 in) · $100 · 242 ppi
Medium (24 × 18 in) · $150 · 201 ppi
Large (36 × 27 in) · $300 · 134 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of Leonidas at Thermopylae?
Here. Leonidas at Thermopylae is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (20 × 15 in) for $100, Medium (24 × 18 in) for $150 and Large (36 × 27 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for Leonidas at Thermopylae?
The file is 4,892 × 3,626 px. Medium (24 × 18 in) is the largest size that prints at 150 ppi or more (201 ppi), the sharpest choice for close viewing; Large (36 × 27 in) prints at 134 ppi, fine from a few feet away but softer up close.
Is it legal to print Leonidas at Thermopylae?
Yes. Leonidas at Thermopylae is in the public domain: its copyright, if it ever had one, expired long ago. In the United States a faithful photograph of a public-domain painting does not create a new copyright (Bridgeman v. Corel, 1999), so the image can be printed and sold freely.
