Liberty at the Barricades (a.k.a. Liberty Leading Her People) by Eugene Delacroix

Refers to the events of July 28, 1830. It shows Liberty as a woman moving the flag of liberation forward over the bodies of both the troops and the people.

During July of 1830, events were taking place that would be later called the Revolution of 1830 or the July Revolution. The second day of this three day affair was July 28th. Liberty at the Barricades, was meant to reflect the events in the center of Paris.

I like how an array of classes are represented in this piece. You have the man in the top hat, which would be a man of a higer class, and the two other subjects beside him, who are of a lower class. This was a great way for Delacroix to express how the idea of class was put aside to form a revolution against King Charles X.

The painting contains a fair amount of nationalistic symbolism. It seems that the flag is placed strategically in the middle of the painting and it becomes the focal point of the piece, for obvious reasons. The fact that Liberty is a little more to the right, but very bright, gives the statement that Liberty may be a predominant reason for this revolution, but more importantly it's liberty for the people of France.

This piece is a perfect interpretation of determination and commitment the people of France had shown to change what was going on before them. It is almost as if this piece makes me proud to be French and I'm not even French!