This concludes our tour of the Louvre!
Liberty Leading the People is one of France's most iconic paintings.
It’s also featured in most French history books.
Many people mistakenly believe that it represents the Revolution of 1789.
However it actually represents the Revolution of 1830, the July Revolution, which deposed King Charles X and gave rise to a new and more liberal constitutional monarchy.
Delacroix was personally close to Charles X.
But he was also fascinated by the energy and ideals of the revolution.
Abandoning the tradition of painting historical events, he chose to represent the Parisian barricades - a contemporary and controversial subject.
The painting’s dominant colors are blue, white, and red - the colors of the Revolution.
Its bold lines draw our eyes to the flag, the symbol of hope and patriotism.
The painting also represents various social classes coming together - which would have been very controversial at the time.
Initially acquired by the government, it was then returned to Delacroix, out of fear that it might spark political unrest.
Fun fact : in 1999, the painting was lent to an exhibition in Tokyo.
However it was so large that it could not fit in a standard 747 - so a special Airbus Beluga had to be chartered for the occasion!
That's it for our tour of the Louvre. We hope you enjoyed it!
Please share it with art lovers you think might be interested.
If you're up for another art adventure, how about exploring the Musée d'Orsay?
Curious to learn more?
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