Assignment 3

Eugene Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People, 1830 Oil on canvas, 102 1/4 x 128 in. (260 x 325 cm) Musee du Louvre, Paris

Part III: Judgment

This Liberty Leading the People actually is record the July Revolution of French, the 3 glorious days. Delacroix contribute his patriotism to his country through painting by showing the how the French people express their outrage toward the violation of constitution of the ruler Charles X.

This painting imitates the event where the French people make the Charles X abdicate and the ascension of Louis-Philippe to the French throne. The dead bodies in the painting showing the situation during that period, the dead body at the left side represent a suspected revolutionist has been murdered and was dragged to streets as a warning by the royal troop, drop a hint that the behavior of royal troops that time, try to spread terror among the citizen by murdering the suspected revolutionist; whereas the two dead bodies are royal troop because they wearing the soldier uniform. That tells the French people not to succumb to the violation of the Charles X because the enemies are vulnerable.

Delacroix tries to bring out the meaning of liberty and the spirit of revolution through some symbolic figure or subject matter. The women who called Liberty actually is based on the Marianne, the national emblem of France which represent liberty and reason. The Phrygian cap she wears also represents freedom and it is an icon of revolutionist during the French revolution. Her body had painted as bared chest is to show the ancient winged victories and the smooth goddess’s skin. The young boy at her right side is a symbol of youthful revolt against injustice and sacrifice for a noble cause and the black velvet berets he wears represent rebellion.

In the painting Delacroix paint the Liberty like she is leading the people over fallen bodies as she holds the flag of the French Revolution in one hand and a bayonet musket in the other. This was a portrayal of the struggle of human freedom (Fiero, pp.358). The sunset glow, together with the canon smoke, illuminates the bodies of Liberty and the young boy, hence, create an aura around them.

picture source from Ms.Clare tutorial slides