Introduction
Art is a highly subjective matter that influences people in many ways. Culture, and subsequently, works of art, have the ability to carry the influences and impacts of their epochs (Leach, 2014). Eugene Delacroix’s Liberty Leading the People is a product of the July revolution in France, and it carries a heavy impact to this day. It epitomizes the themes of freedom, leadership, and diversity that are essential to this day. It is an example of how a piece of art can represent both events of an era and all-time fundamental concepts.
Liberty Leading the People Description
The piece of art chosen for this paper is Liberty Leading the People, an oil painting by the artist Eugene Delacroix. It depicts a monumental woman that leads various people after her. She holds a French flag in one hand and a musket in another. She is dressed in a flowing yellow dress reminiscent of Greek togas and has a red cap on her head. Around her is chaos, smoke, and destruction, but she appears to be unbothered by it.
The July Revolution
The times when this painting was created were the times of the July revolution in France. It encapsulates the era of French history when violent protests against restrictive governmental policies took place. In the span of three days, from July 27th to July 29th (later called les Trois Glorieuses), people from the middle- and working-class fought the armed forces of the French King, Charles X (Carlyle, 2019). It was a pivotal moment in the life of France, as it was the time when the constitutional monarchy was established.
Value to the Culture
The cultural value of this work applies not only to the people of France, where it serves as a reminder of this country’s rich history of resilience and unity. Liberty Leading People is a painting of Romantics’ art direction, so a great emphasis here is put on the emotional aspect (Chaulagain, 2018). The emotions this painting conveys are the need for people to stand up for themselves in the face of oppression. It also supports the notions of diversity as people depicted here are of different social backgrounds. The woman herself possesses features both akin to Greek goddesses and the working class (a red cap that working people often wore). Therefore, the cultural values of this work relate not only to the people of France but to all people that struggle against oppression, no matter their background.
Society at the Time of the July Revolution
The early 1800s in France were characterized by great societal movements that ultimately led to the July revolution. Society, specifically the middle- and working class, was seeing first-hand the effects of faulty economic, harmful leadership, political and social systems that favored exploitation. The final straw was the orders made by Charles X that infringed upon the Charter of 1814 (Carlyle, 2019). Bourgeoisie had issues with their exclusion from political power, and peasants grew continuously displeased with their disposition of low income and lack of rights. Ultimately, the societal and economic grievances of the nation led to the monarchy’s downfall.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Liberty Leading People by Eugene Delacroix is a piece of art that exudes the power of people in the face of oppression. Many social and economic factors contributed to the surge in the revolutionary spirits; however, they all had one commonality: they infringed upon human rights and needs. To this day, the issue of injustice is highly critical in every society. Therefore, the value of this work is in instigating and supporting people in their fight to defend themselves against maltreatment.
References
Carlyle, T. (2019). The French revolution. Oxford University Press.
Chaulagain, Y. (2018). Visual position and juxtaposition: An analytical study of Liberty Leading the People and Moon-Woman Cuts the Circle. Tribhuvan University Journal, 32(2), 191–202.
Leach, J. (2014). Cultural power and the role of the humanities. Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society, 44(1), 47–56.