We live at a time when the idea of democracy and people’s liberty is every day destroyed by laws made by the powerfuls who govern us. And I see a very good parallel in this XIXth century painting with our time.
This Delacroix master piece is a demonstration of the anger of the people in 1830 when the king Charles X decided to abolish the liberty of the newspapers and to transform the vote. It was in Paris, 3 days of insurrection, on July 27th, 28th, and 29th, 1830.
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Thank you, Brigitte. A very informative and beautiful piece of writing. I enjoyed it a lot. Although I like paintings, I don’t understand them well. For example here, why the woman is barechested? To accentuate her femininity? Or to make the painting more beautiful? Or the purpose is simply to make us ask the same question?
We can add the FEMEN, a radical feminist activist group. I don’t know if their demonstration topless is to recall the Delacroix’s painting.
Couldn’t we ask the same question about the painting below?
Yes Jean-Marc, it’s funny to compare this Delacroix’s figure with a Femen. We can see it in this way. But it’s a little anachronistic, isn’t it? Thank you for your answer Hasan and I’m trying seriously to answer. So, it’s because the tradition of the West painting comes from Greece and this character, even she is realistic, comes from this tradition. Delacroix learned drawing and painting in the Academy of Beaux Arts with examples of Greek and Roman sculptures. The drapery of the dress is in this tradition. Moreover, she looks like in fury so it’s plausible she didn’t take… Read more »
Nice post and replies! I slightly smiled when I read Pejman’s comment which was pertinent and a little bit subversive for our minds, but Brigitte’s explanations are very instructive. By the way, I thought that this masterpiece was aged of the end of the 18th century.
If you happen to live in or near the north of France, why not go and see this painting at Louvre-Lens?
I think the painting had returned to Paris now.
I don’t think it’s at the time in Louvre-Lens. It was there during a year for the opening of the museum.
We use the expression at the time to talk about a particular time in the past when something was done, an idea was considered, etc. Here are a couple of examples:
Speaking/Talking of FEMEN, there was an international competition one or two years ago, FIFA World Cup or something like that. The FEMEN members had staged a rally and a reporter was interviewing people around them. Interestingly, when the reporter asked people about the rally, most of the spectators (especially men) had not seen the placards or banners and didn’t know what the rally was about. They had been just too busy leering at the protesters themselves! So much for the demonstration!