In what ways and to what extent is an understanding of historical context important in approaching the works of David Rousseau and Jaques Louis David?

In what ways and to what extent is
an understanding of historical context
important in approaching the works of
(a)Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and
(b)Jacques-Louis David.
In this essay I will attempt to illustrate how an ahistorical approach to the works of David and Rousseau is possible. I will discuss how a historical approach adds to this and as such assess its importance in fully appreciating their work.
We can approach David's paintings with a purely formal analysis, based on the techniques he uses to create them. He painted in the Neo-classical style, therefore adopting the style, su…