Catalogue of the exhibition held from 14 October 2008 to 11 January 2009

The Tennis Court Oath by Jacques-Louis David was one of the stunning masterpieces of the Museum of the History of France set up in 1837 by king Louis-Philippe, with the aim of celebrating 'all the glories of France'. The chequered history of the sketch, which entered the museum's collections in 1921 and is now exhibited in the Chimay attic of the Château de Versailles (guided visits are organised several times a year), contributes as much as its pictorial force to its myth.

An inexhaustible source of inspiration -  for paintings, prints, drawings, films, sculptures, etc. - even in its unfinished state it magnificently expresses the passion of a painter filled with ambition and the determination to break away from the established order and the current orthodoxy of classicism. This book retraces the work's genesis, elaboration and history up to our day. Juliette Trey is a curator at the Château de Versailles, in charge of its 18th century paintings. Antoine de Baecque is a historian of 18th century culture, a film critic and historian.

Authors: Juliette Trey and Antoine de Baecque
Coéditors: Château de Versailles - Editions Art-Lys 

ISBN-13: 9782854953671
Number of pages: 64
Date of publication: October 2008
Dimensions: L24 x l17 cm
Language: french only