Masterpiece of French Romanticism: Liberty Leading the People

Author: Eugène Delacroix

Visual Elements and Composition

The visual elements of the red and blue flag, standing before a wounded Liberty, and the fallen figure to the left, are highlighted to create an imaginary straight line forming a central axis. An unreal light illuminates Liberty, the boy beside her, the blue jacket of the dying figure near the lower left margin, and the man holding his hat.

The use of color and light helps promote movement. The figures fall within the apex of a pyramid, a structure taught in French academies. The action is aimed at the observer; the scene takes place on the streets of Paris. The central female figure is an allegory of Liberty; she carries a rifle and a flag to guide the fighters.

• On the left: A representative of the bourgeoisie with an arquebus (surely a self-portrait) and a member of the intelligent artisans brandishing a sword.
• On the right: A youth representative with a drum and two pistols.

Style

Delacroix was the great figure of French Romantic painting. He observed the great amazement and terribilità of Michelangelo, whose characters took exceptional shape and block. As for color, he admired the Venetian school, and valued the works of Rubens, Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa, and Gros.

Interpretation and Function

This is the first modern political composition. With this work, the author referred to the three-day revolution that took place in Paris. The female figure flying the tricolor flag symbolizes freedom, representing France, and guides citizens as a goddess toward victory and freedom.

Historical Context

Initially, the intention was propaganda, but over time, the work acquired a more commemorative meaning. After Napoleon's defeat and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, virtually all of Europe returned to absolutism. However, bourgeois liberalism fought in all countries through a series of revolutions to restore freedom.

The July Revolution of 1830 in Paris led to the abdication of Charles X, who had signed "the Four Ordinances of July," under which he could rule by decree without regard to Parliament. Once order was restored, Charles had to go into exile. A new monarch, Louis Philippe of Orléans, the candidate of the bourgeoisie, took charge of power, inaugurating a period of parliamentary monarchy.