Delacroix: A Sense of Liberty

By Martin Fraudreau

Liberty Guiding the People is definitely Delacroix’s most iconic work. Contrary to what one might initially think, it does not depict the French Revolution of 1789, but rather the Second Revolution of 1830. Following the successive stages of its restoration by the Louvre, the film offers us an unprecedented look at this painting, the ultimate allegory of popular sovereignty. To tell its history today is to go beyond the realm of art history and understand its decisive historical context for France and Europe, and its resonance with current democratic and feminist struggles.