Jacques-Louis David, Leonidas at Thermopylae (1814)

“The emphasized man in the center, presumably Leonidas, instantly draws the viewers’ eyes to him. Not only is Leonidas more bathed in light out of any of the partly shadowed figures in the painting, he also has the most static pose while almost everyone else is in motion. In this brief snapshot of a glimpse into an intense battle, he takes a moment to reflect on the war. While he is the leader of his army, Leonidas cannot do this alone; his eyes are upturned toward the heavens, as if to look up to God and beg for help. His facial expression is one of contemplation and almost defeat, as if he knows the fate of him and his army in the battle…On the left side, a soldier carves in rock the famous phrase (in Greek), “Go, passer-by, to Sparta tell/Obedient to her law we fell”, conveying that Leonidas and his Spartans know their fate and are prepared to die, in the name of their country.” (Wikipedia)