Liberty+Leading+the+People

Liberty Leading the People
The painting //Liberty Leading the People// took 3 months to paint and was completed in 1830 by Eugene Delacroix in Paris. Delacroix is sometimes called the father of French romantic painting. Some of the interesting facts of the painting are in the painting itself. Liberty wears a hat- a Phrygian cap, that was a recognized symbol of liberty during the French Revolution. She also wears a yellow dress similar to classical drapery. The top has slipped to her waist showing a greek profile with exposed breasts showing her stubbornness to stand firm in the face of her oppressors. The gun she carries is true of the infantry guns used at the time. She also holds what looks like a modern French flag. The boy to her right wears a black velvet beret which were worn by students of the time as a symbol of rebellion. Most interesting is the man to the left in the top hat, as it is Delacroix himself.

Today it is considered to be one of the most famous paintings of Delacroix. It has been used on French money and stamps and even though after its completion in 1830 it was hidden from view until 1855. It now proudly hangs in the Lourve museum in Paris in the French Paintings department. It remains a very important document to the revolt of the people of the 1830’s and has important historical value to the French citizens of today.