Armand-Charles Caraffe. "The Oath of the Horatii", 1791

"The Oath of the Horatii" by the French painter Armand-Charles Caraffe was painted in 1791 on a subject made famous by his teacher Jacques-Louis David. The Roman historian Livy told of the three Horatii brothers who swore to win or die in combat with the three Curiatii brothers from Alba Longa; their father holds out swords to them.

David's painting of this subject was painted in 1784 in Rome and shown in Paris; it is now in the Louvre. Caraffe (1762–1822), a pupil of David and Lagrenée, turned to the same theme. Later he worked at the court in St Petersburg. Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov regularly commissioned paintings from French artists, and he also acquired this work for his collection.

In 2021 the painting was shown at the exhibition "The French Taste of the Yusupov Princes", organised by the New Jerusalem Museum together with Arkhangelskoye. Oil on canvas.