Main idea about Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People (1830) - Essay Example

Main idea about Delacroixs "Liberty Leading the People" (1830) Generally, a painting is symbolic of an artist’s creativity and artistic craftsmanship. Similarly, some painters provide ample importance to their responsibility towards the society. Within this scenario, the paintings by Eugene Delacroix are noteworthy because the artist is aware of his responsibilities to viewers in particular and to the society in general. Thesis statement: The main idea about the painting Liberty Leading the People by the renowned painter Eugene Delacroix is revolutionary spirit that transformed Europe from the Age of Enlightenment and led towards the Romantic Era.

Transformation from the Age of Enlightenment to the Romantic Era The artwork (see, Appendix-1) is symbolic of the revolutionary spirit inherent in every human being. To be specific, the main idea about the artwork is related to European society’s transformation from Enlightenment to the realm of Romanticism. Fred Kleiner stated that, “Balancing contemporaneous historical fact with poetic allegory, Delacroix captured the passion and energy of the 1830 revolution in this painting of Liberty leading the Parisian uprising against Charles X” (623).

One can see that the general notion on revolutionaries is based upon masculine power, i.e. male revolutionaries fighting for freedom. But the focal point of this painting is a woman holding the French flag. This is symbolic of the French society’s transformation from Enlightenment to the context of Romanticism. The facial expression of the male revolutionaries proves that they consider the woman as a revolutionary, not as a woman. This sort of freedom and equality is the core aspect of French Revolution.

So, the main idea behind the artwork is the revolutionary spirit of human beings, disregarding gender differences. Summing, Eugene Delacroix’s artwork is the combination of Romantic and revolutionary spirits. To be specific, the artist chose a female figure as the artwork’s focal point to portray his perspective on social responsibility. In short, the artist makes use of his artwork to share his views on the relationship between patriotism and individual freedom. Works Cited Kleiner, Fred.

Gardners Art through the Ages: The Western Perspective, Volume 2. Boston; Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.AppendicesAppendix-1Available at: - https://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255/la/delacroix.html