Coriolanus Taking Leave of his Family

Anne-Louis Girodet painted Coriolanus Taking Leave of His Family around 1786, an early history painting demonstrating his emerging command of the classical subject matter that his training under David and his subsequent Italian journey would fully develop. The Roman subject — the general saying farewell to his family before marching against Rome out of bitterness at his unjust exile — was suited to the Davidian tradition of Stoic virtue and civic sacrifice, but Girodet's treatment already shows the more emotional, Romantic inflection that would distinguish his mature style from his master's austere classicism.

Girodet arranges the classical figures with the compositional clarity learned from David, using restrained gestures and a muted palette. The sculptural modeling of the toga-clad figures and the architectural setting demonstrate thorough academic training.