ABSTRACT
David's reputation as a teacher of other great artists was nearly as renowned during the Revolution and Empire as his work as a painter and political figure.1 Yet David's training of female artists remains a relatively unexplored aspect of his role as 'father of the modern school'. A closer look at some of these exceptional women reveals a complex give-and-take with the man who could be in turn their mentor, protector, friend, political ally or adversary, and even a seeker among them of protection and patronage.
