Liberty at the BarricadesEugene Delacroix
Eugene Delacroix was inspired by the events of the 28th of July 1830. On this day, French revolts force King Charles X to step down and hand the throne to Louis Philipe.
At first glance, one does not pay attention to the people that surround Liberty, or even the bodies she is stepping on. What one does notice is the looking glance in her face, boldly proclaiming "Are you with me, or not?" After learning about what took place on this day, one can see the symbolism everywhere, from the bottom to the top.
If one knew the Romantics and the ideologies of the time, one could interpret liberty's exposed bosom to represent sexual freedom. The bodies of the dead are actually soldiers, which could mean the fall of the monarchy. We see the bourgeoisie and the proletarians working together- the bourgeoisie smartly dressed while the working people (artisans and urban poor) hold onto swords and pistols. Examining closely just who is holding the pistol, one notices that it is a young boy. This could symbolically mean that the fight for freedom is a cause that MALES of any age should be willing to subscribe to. Moving the eye to Lady Liberty once again and oticing at her feet is a particularly desperate-looking solider. If it could be claimed that the bodies of the dead soldiers alluded to the fall of the monarchy, then maybe this soldier, who looks like he is going to take down Liberty and kill her, is the monarchy's last ditch effort to stamp out any revolutionary ideas of freedom and liberty. The background hints of the cannons blasting in the night sky, making this writer think that morning will bring victory and a new world for a new day. Liberty is leading the people to a new way of thinking, victorious or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment