Antoine Laurent Lavoisier (1743–1794) and Marie Anne Lavoisier (Marie Anne Pierrette Paulze, 1758–1836)

Antoine Laurent Lavoisier and Marie Anne Lavoisier (1788) depicts the father of modern chemistry and his wife, who was his scientific collaborator and illustrator. Painted the year before the Revolution, this double portrait captures the Enlightenment ideal of intellectual partnership between husband and wife. Tragically, Lavoisier was guillotined in 1794 during the Terror. David, who had signed Lavoisier's arrest warrant, later expressed regret.

David's portrait technique is at its most refined, with the sitters surrounded by the scientific instruments that defined their work. The clarity of drawing and the precise rendering of glassware, fabrics, and flesh demonstrate David's command of both portraiture and still life. The warm palette and intimate composition create an atmosphere of enlightened domesticity.