What art history can teach us, or: the sad ending of M. Lavoisier

If nothing else, the exhibits at the MET in New York City allow us to reflect on humanity’s long and winding road over thousands of years. In my conversation with retired dentist Deborah Pilla, we learn about her deep dive into art history in her journey to become a volunteer docent at the MET. One of her favorite paintings is of this couple, Antoine Laurent Lavoisier and Marie Anne Lavoisier (1788) by Jacques Louis David, considered one of the great neoclassical portraits.  

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. Lavoisier was one of the fathers of modern chemistry, as shown by the equipment on his desk, and his accomplished wife worked with him, keeping his experiment log books.  They were also members of the French aristocracy, however, and just six years after this was painted, M. Lavoisier was guillotined. But in the portrait, the couple, shown a year before the French Revolution, look happy and prosperous.  Could they have foreseen how their lives would change?  Hint:  There is more to this work than meets the eye:  read the MET’s description here: https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/436106 .