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Why was Jacques-Louis David arrested after Robespierre’s execution?

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Jacques-Louis David was arrested following the execution of Maximilien Robespierre in 1794 because of his close political association with the fallen leader. During the French Revolution, David had been a prominent member of the extremist Jacobin group and served as a leading figure in the Committee of Public Instruction, earning him the nickname "the Robespierre of the brush".123

As the political climate shifted away from radicalism in 1794, public opinion turned against the former leadership. David was imprisoned twice—first for four months in 1794 and again for two months the following year—and ultimately secured his release only after renouncing his previous revolutionary activities and declaring his intention to attach himself to "principles and not to men".12