For much of the period 1790-1840, Neoclassicism coexisted happily with the opposing tendency of Romanticism. This was because - far from being opposites - these two styles are ideologically close to one another. Historical or mythological compositions are typically based on inspirational events which can so easily be cast in a romantic or emotional light. The dividing line between the two can therefore be quite blurred, as shown by the following paintings: The Death of General Wolfe (1770, National Gallery of Canada, Ottowa) by Benjamin West; Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801, Louvre) by J-L David; Raft of the Medusa (1819, Louvre) by Theodore Gericault; and The Death of Sardanapalus (1827, Louvre) and Liberty Leading the People (1830) by Eugene Delacroix. The first two belong to the Neoclassical school, the others to Romanticism, but the differences are minimal. (Note: For a discussion of Romanticism versus Classicism as far as Germany was concerned, see German Art, 19th Century.)