influence in French Painting in the 19th century

influence in French Painting in the 19th century

Dear (friend’s name), I am in the city of Paris where Liberty Leading the People, a famous artwork by Eugène Delacroix, was painted using oil on canvas in 1830 and following his style and ideas of romanticism. My long desire to travel to Paris is because this France’s ultra-cosmopolitan capital city has a global reputation as the center of architecture history, gastronomy, fashion, culture, and art. Eugene Delacroix intended to commemorate the famous July Revolution that took place in Paris, during which Charles X was dethroned or removed from power. On average, the cost of traveling to Paris is about 1,136 euros per person per week, making it quite affordable. The cost of staying in a hotel such as CitizenM Paris Gare de Lyon is about 110 pounds per night, where you are allowed to reserve in advance and pay on the day of your stay. The original patron of Liberty Leading the People (Delacroix) became a significant influence in French Painting in the 19th century, particularly as a romantic artist.

The French city, Paris, is situated 2.35 longitude and 48.85 latitudes with a 42 meters elevation above sea-level. The culture of this city is mostly about entertainment, festivals, museums, music, and arts where it hosts various cultural attractions like Louvre, Musée Picasso, Musée Rodin, Musée du Montparnasse ane Musée National d’Art Moderne. Paris is likely the top world food destination for most tourists. Besides its magnificent architecture, Paris’ local dishes attract global attention because their preparations are also works of art. Ranging from steak frites to Macarons and Chuocroute, the meals are very sumptuous, and anyone would love them. Paris also has some significant architecture cutting across different periods, including the Middle Ages through the 21st century. Paris is considered to be the place where the Gothic style was born and hosts global landmarks like the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower. In terms of entertainment, Paris also has numerous restaurants, theatres, bars, shopping centers, and clubs where one can enjoy the nightlife of music and dance. Due to its closeness to the Mediterranean Sea, Paris experiences dry and hot summers and is located at the center of Île-de-France region, crossed by Marne, Oise and Seine rivers, give it a cool breeze that soothes one from the somewhat hot summer sun.

The artist used oil and canvas to create a 325 cm by 260 cm painting. He started working on the painting after witnessing open warfare in the city’s streets, which came after Charles X restrictive ordinances. The art was completed after three months. Delacroix treated all the parts of the Canvas painting with a similar technique giving it a uniform texture. However, the moving flag and clouds create visual texture. The artwork has dark and light areas separating active humans and dead bodies, balancing the piece’s concentration and symmetry.

Through this art, the artist was giving away his style and ideas of ROMANTICISM. This style emerged between 1800 and 1850, when art was used to emphasize individualism, glorification, and emotion. The artist painted Liberty Leading the People at a time of the July Revolution, and it had a huge political message portraying the Uprising. Romanticism started in Europe, where it flourished. The visual elements used by the artist include an interplay of light and color create impact the emotions of viewers.

The subject matter of the three-dimensional artwork was to portray revolution, as the 1830s revolution inspired it. The artists combined both idealism and realism to show events, leading to contemporary scenes. Liberty is depicted by the artist as a robust woman and an allegorical goddess-figure. The corpses are portrayed as a pedestal where Liberty, using her barefoot, reaches the viewer’s space. The painting’s composition follows a triangular pattern with the number three repeated among some other common patterns symbolizing the significance of the revolution. The brightness against the dark parts at the bottom creates optical elements that add movement and emphasize the shift from a dark period to a bright one, further demonstrating the significance of the revolution for the French people.

Born in 1978, 26th April, Eugène Delacroix underwent through artistic training in the same city and turned out to be an iconic and leading figure in the 19th century. After numerous professional artwork that earned him massive recognition, he died in 1863, August 13th, in Paris. The circumstances I see in Liberty Leading the People are the hardships the people went through that called for a revolt against the existing reign. The artist was particularly inspired by the revolution, where people desired a new leadership to bring to an end a dark era of oppressive leadership.

Delacroix was immensely influenced by older masters such as Rubens (1977 to 1640), Paolo Veronese (1528 to 1588), and some recent painters like Goya (1746 to 1828). Being an acquaintance to other English Masters such as Turner (1775-1851) and John Constable, changed his drawing style to colorful brushwork and not the uptight academic art initially practiced. Another painting of the time is Gustave Courbet’s painting, a more realist painting, unlike the Allegorical and Political work embodied in Liberty Leading the People.

The artwork is currently at the Louvre-Lens museum, which is 200 kilometers north of the city. The museum is found in Lens, a town in France. During my visit there, I learned that the city’s inhabitants are known as Lensois and that the town was at first a fortification from an invasion by Normans. Failing to plan carefully concerning the time I would spend in the city made my stay in Paris short. Next time, I will plan carefully on how much time I will need to get much accurate timing of how much resources would be necessary for my stay there. I hope you also make it to visit this awesome city to get an experience of a lifetime.