Liberty Leading the People: A Romantic Revolution
Liberty Leading the People
1. General Documentation
Title: Liberty Leading the People
Artist: Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863)
Date: 1830
Style: Romantic
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 2.60 m x 3.25 m
Location: Louvre Museum, Paris
Theme: A blend of allegory and realism depicting the July Revolution of 1830 in Paris, which led to the overthrow of King Charles X.
2. Formal Analysis
Plastic Elements
The brushstrokes are loose and undulating. The red, white, and blue of the flag and the clothing of the wounded and fallen figures stand out against the ochre and gray tones. These three primary elements create a central axis. Light illuminates Liberty’s tricolor, the boy beside her, the dying man in the blue jacket, the fallen figure in the lower left, and the face and hand of the man in the top hat. The use of color and light enhances the sense of movement.
Composition
The composition is reminiscent of Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa, with figures forming a pyramidal structure, the flag replacing the shipwrecked’s sail. The two figures in the foreground parallel the corpses in Géricault’s work. While the figures in The Raft of the Medusa recede from the viewer, Delacroix’s figures move towards the observer, drawing them into the scene. The setting is the streets of Paris, with Notre Dame in the background. Liberty, a central allegorical figure, carries a rifle and the French flag, leading the fighters. To her left are a bourgeois with a rifle (likely a self-portrait of Delacroix) and a worker with a sword. To her right is a young boy with a drum and pistols.
3. Style
Delacroix, a leading figure of French and European Romanticism, admired Michelangelo and captured his terribilità. His use of color reflects the Venetian School (Giorgione, Titian). Rubens’ vitality and decoration also influenced him. Delacroix drew inspiration from Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa and the work of Gros, another French Romantic. A trip to Seville and Cadiz introduced him to Goya. Delacroix’s influence is evident in later artists like Cézanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Seurat. He was a master of the exotic theme and rich color.
4. Interpretation
Content and Significance
Along with Goya’s work, this is one of the first modern political paintings. Delacroix wrote to his brother, “I have embarked on a modern subject, a barricade… If I haven’t fought for my country at least I’ll paint for her.” This refers to the July Revolution (27-29, 1830), which overthrew Charles X and led to the coronation of Louis Philippe. The scene likely depicts events of the 28th. Liberty symbolizes France, guiding citizens to victory. Exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1831, it was purchased by Louis Philippe but deemed too inflammatory for public display until 1861.
Function
Delacroix’s initial intention was likely propagandistic, but the painting evolved into a commemorative piece. While referencing specific events, it’s not strictly historical, as Delacroix prioritized emotional impact over factual accuracy, aligning with Romantic ideals.