Which painting by Jacques-Louis David at the Met depicts the death of Socrates?

The Jacques-Louis David painting at the Met depicting Socrates’ death is The Death of Socrates.

David painted the oil-on-canvas work in 1787 in the Neoclassical style. It shows the ancient Greek philosopher seated upright in prison, reaching toward the cup of hemlock while continuing to teach his followers. The scene is based primarily on Plato’s Phaedo, which describes Socrates’ final hours and his discussion of the soul’s immortality.

The composition is deliberately dramatic but controlled. Socrates and Plato appear unusually calm, while many disciples express grief. Plato is shown as an old man seated near the foot of the bed, although historical tradition holds that he was not present at Socrates’ execution. David therefore followed the literary account while exercising artistic license.

The painting is often mixed up with David’s other famous works, including The Oath of the Horatii, The Intervention of the Sabine Women, and Napoleon Crossing the Alps. Those paintings also use heroic historical subjects, but none depicts Socrates. The Met acquired The Death of Socrates in 1931, and it remains one of the museum’s notable European paintings.