About The Artist
- Eugene Delacroix (April 26,
1798 - August 13, 1863) |
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Ferdinand Victor
Eugène Delacroix was THE
most important of the French Romantic
painters. |
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About
The Painting - Liberty Leading the
People 28th July 1830, 1830 |
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Liberty
Leading the People (in French - La
Liberté guidant le peuple) is the
most influential work of French painter
Eugène Delacroix, and commemorates
the July Revolution of 1830 that saw
Charles X dethroned. The painting
depicts a woman - Liberty - leading
the people forward over fallen bodies,
holding a tricolor flag of the French
Revolution in her right hand and waving
a bayoneted musket with the left. |
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Painted
by Delacroix in the autumn of 1830,
Liberty was a product of the painter's
bad mood. On 12 October, Delacroix
wrote to his brother: "My bad mood
is vanishing thanks to hard work.
I've embarked on a modern subject
- a barricade. And if I haven't fought
for my country at least I'll paint
for her." |
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The
depiction of the lady as Liberty is
both an allegory for a "Goddess" like
figure and for a full-bodied, strong
woman leader. This approach was denounced
as "ignoble" by the contemporary critics.
The fallen people depict a pedestal
of sorts on which Liberty strides
- both bare-chested and bare-footed.
The Phrygian cap worn by Liberty has
now come to symbolize the need for
freedom during the French Revolution
of 1789. |
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The
message that Delacroix seemed to be
sending was that irrespective of class
- as the painting shows fighters from
a range of classes such as bourgeoisie
(man with the hat), lower classes
(child with the gun) - people can
come together and fight for their
freedom only if they have determination
and courage. There are two flags -one
in Liberty's hand and a second flying
in the distance from the towers of
Notre Dame. |
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The
Liberty Leading the People was bought
by the French government for 3,000
francs, and was to be displayed in
the Palais du Luxembourg's throne
room, but the plan failed and since
1874 the Liberty is on exhibit at
the Louvre. |
