Liberty Leading the People
[4] Delacroix, who was born as the Age of Enlightenment was giving way to the ideas and style of romanticism, rejected the emphasis on precise drawing that characterised the academic art of his time, and instead gave a new prominence to freely brushed colour.The mound of corpses and wreckage acts as a kind of pedestal from which Liberty strides, barefoot and bare-breasted, out of the canvas and into the space of the viewer.[9] The French government bought the painting in 1831 for 3,000 francs with the intention of displaying it in the throne room of the Palais du Luxembourg as a reminder to the "citizen-king" Louis-Philippe of the July Revolution, through which he had come to power.This plan did not come to fruition and the canvas hung in the palace's museum gallery for a few months, before being removed due to its inflammatory political message.[17][18] Louvre officials announced the next day that the writing had been removed in less than two hours by a restorer without damaging the original paint, and the piece returned to display that morning.In addition to the vivid white clouds and plumes of smoke, they found the central figure's dress was not entirely yellow but originally light grey with bits of gold.[31] The cover of the 2010 book Enough is Enough: How to Build a New Republic by Fintan O'Toole references the painting, but with Kathleen Ni Houlihan holding the Irish tricolour in Dublin while the leaders of the three main political parties at the time (Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore) lie on the ground.[32] During the 20 October 2011 episode of the BBC Radio 4 series In Our Time, host Melvyn Bragg led a panel discussion of the painting.[33] Liberty Leading the People made an appearance in the 11th episode ("EDGELORD – Revolution of the 14-Year-Olds") of the Netflix animation series Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045.[34] Libery Leading the People makes a prominent appearance in the 2023 film John Wick Chapter 4, starring Keanu Reeves.Near the end of the second act, main antagonist, Marquis Vincent de Garmont (Bill Skarsgård) is seen standing before Liberty Leading the People inside the Louvre Museum, which was famously closed to the public for the filming of the scenes.
Eugène DelacroixOil on canvasLouvreFrenchRomantic eraJuly RevolutionCharles XPhrygian cappersonifying the concept and Goddess of LibertybarricadetricolourbayonettedmusketFrench RepublicMarianneFrench RevolutionRomanticAge of Enlightenmentacademic artParis Salon of 1831allegoricalpedestaltop hatÉcole PolytechniquebicornetricoloreNotre-DameÉtienne AragoFrédéric VillotNicolas CharletfrancsPalais du LuxembourgLouis-PhilippeJune RebellionAlbert BoimeSecond Republicrevolution of 1848Third RepublicMusée du LouvreMetropolitan Museum of ArtNew YorkDetroit Institute of ArtsBicentennialGrand PalaisDetroitAirbus BelugaBahrainCalcuttaLouvre-LensLens, Pas-de-Calais("AE911")security guardWest Bank Wall graffiti artBethlehemLibertyFranceVictor HugoLes MisérablesGavrocheFrédéric Auguste BartholdiStatue of LibertyGeorge AntheilRobert BallaghPádraig PearseColdplayViva la Vida or Death and All His FriendsRigoberta BandiniAy mamáKathleen Ni HoulihanBrian CowenEnda KennyEamon GilmoreBBC Radio 4In Our TimeMelvyn BraggVincenzoSong Joong-kiNetflixAed Abu Amro2018–2019 Gaza border protestsOpening Ceremonies of the 2024 OlympicsConciergerieLiberté, égalité, fraternitéLiberty (goddess)Marilyn, YalomChicagoUniversity of Chicago PressDetroit Free PressWayne State University PressThe GuardianThe IndependentLe Nouvel ObservateurAgence France-PresseFrance 3France 24Le MondeSmithsonianArtnetWarner, MarinaPetridis, AlexisEuropa FMThe Entombment of ChristThe Barque of DanteMademoiselle RoseHead of an Old Greek WomanOrphan Girl at the CemeteryThe Massacre at ChiosHorse Frightened by a ThunderstormGreece on the Ruins of MissolonghiThe Combat of the Giaour and HassanThe Execution of the Doge Marino FalieroLouis d'Orléans Showing Off His MistressPortrait of Louis-Auguste SchwiterWoman Stroking a ParrotThe Death of SardanapalusCromwell at Windsor CastleThe Murder of the Bishop of LiègeA Young Tiger Playing with Its MotherThe Battle of NancyCromwell with the Coffin of Charles IThe PicadorArab Rider ChargingThe Prisoner of ChillonWomen of AlgiersThe NatchezChrist on the Cross