From Art and Politics Paper: In Liberty Leading the People Eugene Delacroix, another leading French Romantic artist, depicts the passion and energy of the Revolution of 1830. The painting is based on an uprising in Paris against the rule of Charles X. Liberty is portrayed allegorically by defiantly thrusting the flag forward, urging the masses to fight on. The red hat that Liberty wears reinforces the urgency of the battle. It was a symbol of a freed slave in antiquity. All around her at the typical Parisian folk with weapons: a street kid with a gum, a peasant with a sword, and a intellectual with a musket (Kleiner 834).Just like in Gericault’s Raft of the Medusa, dead bodies are strewn about. In the background the national symbol of Notre Dame rises through the smoke. The inclusion of this landmark announces the specific location of the event. This painting is very similar to Raft of the Medusa in that Delacroix attempts to balance contemporary historical fact with poetic allegory (Neret 25).
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