TheOldMastersPrintsThe Death of Socrates by Jacques-Louis David: meaning, location and key facts
The Death of Socrates is an oil on canvas by Jacques-Louis David, painted in 1787. It measures 129.5 × 196.2 cm and is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Key facts
| Artist | Jacques-Louis David |
|---|---|
| Date | 1787 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 129.5 × 196.2 cm (height × width) |
| Museum | The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York |
| Style | Neoclassicism |
| Data source | Wikidata (Q1752990) · Wikipedia |
What it shows
Socrates, sentenced to death in 399 BC for impiety and corrupting the young, calmly reaches for the cup of hemlock while still talking about the immortality of the soul. With his other hand he points upwards. His disciples weep around him.
At the foot of the bed sits Plato, turned away, and Crito touches his master’s leg. David followed Plato’s account in the Phaedo and turned it into a manifesto of civic virtue: reason and duty above fear.
Did you know?
- Plato is shown as an old man, although he was about 28 when Socrates died.
- It was shown at the Paris Salon of 1787 and was one of the great successes of Neoclassicism before the Revolution.
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York acquired it in 1931 through the Catharine Lorillard Wolfe Collection fund.
Where to see the original
The Death of Socrates is at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Works are sometimes lent to exhibitions or taken down for restoration, so it is worth checking the museum’s website before you go.
Which print size to choose
The print keeps the proportions of the original: if they differ from the paper, the painting is centred with a white border and never cropped. More details in our size guide.
| A4 (21 × 29.7 cm) | shelves, desks and gallery walls |
|---|---|
| A3 (29.7 × 42 cm) | bedrooms, hallways and small walls |
| A2 (42 × 59.4 cm) | above a sideboard, chest of drawers or headboard |
Prints are made to order in the Czech Republic and reach the EU in 3 to 8 days, with no customs. Canvases are made in the USA and take about 2 to 3 weeks, with EU VAT included in the price.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is The Death of Socrates?
- The original is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
- How big is The Death of Socrates?
- The original painting measures 129.5 × 196.2 cm (height × width).
- Who painted The Death of Socrates and when?
- It was painted by Jacques-Louis David in 1787.
- Can I hang a reproduction of The Death of Socrates at home?
- Yes. The work is in the public domain, so it can be freely reproduced. We offer it as a matte print in A4, A3, A2 (from €18.99) and as a ready-to-hang canvas (from €64.99), with free shipping to the EU.
Updated 21 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Message us through the shop and we will fix it.
