Liberty Leading the People facts for kids

Liberty Leading the People (French: La Liberté guidant le peuple) is a famous painting by the French artist Eugène Delacroix. He created it in 1830 to remember the July Revolution of that year. This revolution saw the people of France rise up and remove King Charles X from power.

The painting shows a woman who represents Liberty. She wears a special cap called a Phrygian cap, which was a symbol of freedom. She leads a diverse group of people forward over a barricade and the bodies of those who have fallen. In one hand, she holds the French tricolour flag, which became France's national flag again after these events. In her other hand, she holds a musket (a type of rifle) with a bayonet. This figure of Liberty is also seen as a symbol of France and the French Republic, known as Marianne. Some people mistakenly think the painting is about the French Revolution of 1789, but it's actually about the one in 1830.

Today, Liberty Leading the People is displayed at the famous Louvre museum in Paris.

Painting History: How It Was Made

By the time Delacroix painted Liberty Leading the People, he was already a very important artist in the Romantic art movement in France. Romanticism was a style that focused on strong emotions, imagination, and individual freedom. Delacroix liked to use bold, free brushstrokes and bright colors, which was different from the very precise drawing style popular at the time.

Delacroix painted this artwork in the autumn of 1830. He wrote to his brother, saying, "My bad mood is vanishing thanks to hard work. I've embarked on a modern subject—a barricade. And if I haven't fought for my country at least I'll paint for her." This shows how much he cared about his country. The painting was first shown to the public at the official Salon (a big art exhibition) in 1831.

What the Painting Means: Symbols of Freedom

Delacroix painted Liberty as both a powerful goddess-like figure and a strong, everyday woman. She steps forward over a pile of bodies and rubble, almost coming out of the painting towards the viewer. The Phrygian cap she wears had become a symbol of freedom during the first French Revolution in 1789. Many experts see this painting as marking the end of the Age of Enlightenment and the beginning of the Romantic era in art and thought.

The people fighting alongside Liberty come from different parts of society. You can see a young man in a top hat, who represents the middle class. There's also a student from a famous school, wearing a traditional hat. And there's a young boy holding pistols, showing the spirit of the city workers. What they all share is a fierce and determined look in their eyes. Besides the large flag held by Liberty, you can also spot a tiny French tricolore flag flying in the distance from the towers of Notre-Dame Cathedral.

People have often wondered who the man in the top hat is. While some thought it might be Delacroix himself, art historians today don't believe that. There have been other ideas, but no one is completely sure who the model was.

Where the Painting Has Been Displayed

The French government bought Liberty Leading the People in 1831. They wanted to display it in the king's palace as a reminder of the July Revolution, which brought King Louis-Philippe to power. However, this plan didn't last long. The painting was seen as too politically strong and was removed after only a few months. It was even hidden away for a while because it was considered "too revolutionary."

Delacroix was allowed to send the painting to his aunt for safekeeping. Later, after another revolution in 1848, it was briefly shown again. It was also displayed in 1855. Finally, in 1874, the French government officially bought the painting for the Musée du Louvre in Paris, where it has been ever since.

In 1974–75, the painting traveled to the United States as a special gift for the Bicentennial (200th birthday). It was part of a big art exhibition that went to New York and Detroit. It was rare for the painting to leave France.

In 1999, the huge painting was flown from Paris to Tokyo on a special cargo plane called an Airbus Beluga. This plane is designed to carry very large items because the painting, which is about 2.99 meters (9.8 feet) high and 3.62 meters (11.9 feet) long, was too big for a regular plane. It was transported standing upright in a special container that protected it from temperature changes and vibrations.

In 2012, the painting was moved to the new Louvre-Lens museum in Lens, Pas-de-Calais, France. In February 2013, a visitor wrote an inscription on the painting. The person was quickly arrested, and museum officials announced that the writing was superficial and could be removed. The next day, the writing was gone, and the painting was back on display without any damage.

The Painting's Lasting Impact

Freedom for France, freedoms for the French (1940), a poster depicting Marianne

An interpretation of Liberty Leading the People on the wall in Bethlehem

Delacroix's painting is one of the most famous early images of the figure known as Marianne. She is a powerful symbol of the French Republic and of France itself.

The painting might have even inspired parts of Victor Hugo's famous 1862 novel, Les Misérables. Many believe the character of Gavroche, a brave boy who runs over a barricade, was inspired by the boy in the painting.

Liberty Leading the People also influenced the creation of the Statue of Liberty in New York City. This famous statue, a gift from France to the United States, was made about 50 years after Delacroix's painting. The statue holds a torch, and its pose is more steady than the active pose of the woman in the painting.

The painting has appeared in many other places too. An image of part of the painting, along with Delacroix, was on the 100 franc banknote in France from 1978 to 1995. The band Coldplay used the painting for the cover of their 2008 album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. It has also been referenced in songs, books, and TV shows like Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 and Vincenzo.

In October 2018, a photograph of a young man named Aed Abu Amro taken during protests in Gaza was compared by some to the figure of Liberty in the painting.

The painting also made a notable appearance in the 2023 movie John Wick Chapter 4. Near the end of the film, the villain is seen standing in front of the painting inside the Louvre Museum.

During the Opening Ceremonies of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, actors recreated the painting at the Conciergerie. They were accompanied by a French version of the song "Do You Hear The People Sing?" from the musical Les Misérables.

See also

• Liberté, égalité, fraternité
• Liberty (goddess)
• Marianne