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Alex Hall
ART-111

A Goddess Among the Ruins.

Ferdinand Victor Eugne Delacroix (26 April 1798 13 August
1863) was a French artist and honored leader of the French
Romantic school. His most influential work known today is
Liberty Leading the People. The work of art is and oil painting
on canvas, its dimensions are 102.4 in tall and 128.0 in wide.
The painting was created in 1830 at the height of the French
revolution to overthrow the oppressive monarchy of King Charles
X. After this revolution another king came to power by the name
of Louis Philippe I. This wasnt a highly noted victory in French
history, because the same tyranny fell upon the people just as
King Charles X widely enforced.
The figures in the painting are mostly people varying from
dead, alive, political faction, nobleman to artisan. The man in
the top hat in the left of the middle ground is dressed in finer
clothes that the man to his right. This displays a gap in class
hierarchy, but they are on the same side of the battle. A young
boy wielding a pistol in each hand represents there is no age
discrimination when it comes to fighting for what you believe in.
They are all around one central figure, a woman in a torn yellow
dress holding the French flag in one hand and a bayoneted rifle
in the other. She is the goddess of victory know as Libertas,
Nike, and Lady Liberty. In Liberty Leading the People she isnt

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Alex Hall
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in glimmering armor of the Greeks and Romans or wearing a crown

like the Statue of Liberty, her wardrobe fits the portrayal of
war and women in this time period which wasnt of the highest
standards.
The first thing noticed when I first look at the painting is
the womans arm. It is nearly centered in the pyramid made by
the flag, the bottom of the tower of Notre Dame, and riflemans
posture. The colors that I see are of a restricted palette
ranging from pales and dirty dark colors. The goddess of victory
wears yellow is seemingly blends in but stands out at the same
time drawing the eye towards it. The flag of France is red,
White, and blue. These colors represent freedom, equality, and
brotherhood. There are several lines in the middle ground: the
riflemans rifle pointing to the flag, the rifle in the womans
left hand, and the bots pistol in his right hand all point
upwards to draw your line of sight to the flag. The time set in
the artwork is a cloudy midafternoon the clouds darken the sun in
the background but in the center behind the goddess of victory
the sun illuminates her like a blessing from the heavens. There
is a confliction of moods like mourning, relief, and the joy of
victory. The men mourn the loss of their brothers that have
perished on the ground they stand. They are relieved that the
battle is over, and that Lady Liberty has prevailed.

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Alex Hall
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Eugne Delacroix used his colors so that the outer portions

of the artwork are darker and the center is lighter around the
woman and flag. He does this to draw attention to center and to
create contrast with the rest of the piece. The lines in Liberty
Leading the People are very important. As mentioned earlier the
rifle, pistol and even the saber in the background create lines
that move the eye in a subconscious way to the most important
part, the goddess of victory. Even the goddess has lines that
lead to the French flag the symbol of revolution.