The Death of Socrates
Jacques-Louis David, 1787
David's Socrates — reason taking the cup.
About this work
Jacques-Louis David painted The Death of Socrates in 1787, at the height of Neoclassicism. The subject comes from Plato's Phaedo: convicted of corrupting the youth of Athens and introducing strange gods, Socrates is sentenced to die by drinking hemlock, and instead of fleeing he uses his death as a last lesson for his pupils. David shows him upright on the bed in a white robe, one hand reaching for the cup and the other raised as he keeps teaching. The young man handing over the poison turns away with his face in his hand, Crito grips Socrates' knee, and Plato sits slumped at the foot of the bed; on the stairs behind, Socrates' wife Xanthippe looks back as she leaves. Reds deepen toward the centre of the composition, while Socrates and Plato are set apart in bluish white. David simplified the scene, cutting characters from Plato's account and taking liberties with the ages of the pupils. The painting is in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and measures 129.5 × 196.2 cm (51 × 77¼ in).
Sources: Wikipedia · The Metropolitan Museum of Art · Wikimedia Commons
Print facts
- Native resolution
- 4,000 × 2,653 px
- Sharp at 150 ppi up to
- 26 × 17 in
- Sizes
- Small (20 × 13 in) · $100 · 200 ppi
Medium (24 × 16 in) · $150 · 166 ppi
Large (36 × 24 in) · $300 · 111 ppi - Price includes
- Frame and US shipping · 14–21 days · 30-day returns
FAQ
Where can I buy a framed print of The Death of Socrates?
Here. The Death of Socrates is available as a framed print in three sizes: Small (20 × 13 in) for $100, Medium (24 × 16 in) for $150 and Large (36 × 24 in) for $300. Prices include the frame and US shipping; delivery takes 14–21 days, with 30-day returns.
What size works best for The Death of Socrates?
The file is 4,000 × 2,653 px. Medium (24 × 16 in) is the largest size that prints at 150 ppi or more (166 ppi), the sharpest choice for close viewing; Large (36 × 24 in) prints at 111 ppi, fine from a few feet away but softer up close.
Is it legal to print The Death of Socrates?
Yes. The Death of Socrates 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.
