Research Project: Art Criticism

1.Internet Research
Liberty Leading the People
(French: La Liberté guidant le peuple)
Eugène Delacroix
Oil on canvas
102.4 × 128.0
1830
Louvre, Paris
2.Research Report
(1)Description
1)What elements did the artist choose to emphasize?
The actions of the major five characters and the color.
2)What were the results or effects of the organization of elements?
The whole emotion of the revolution is raised.
(2)Analysis
3)Describe the dominant art principles the artist uses to organize the elements of art?
It is organized by the pattern of triangle formed by the five figures. The triangle also made a kind of movement leading to the right corner.
(3)Interpretation
4)Describe what you think about the artwork is about in symbolic area.
The main figure of the painting, the bare breaste woman with a musket in one hand and a tricolor flag in the other, which symbolize liberty during the revolution. The reason why Delacroix chose a feminine figure as the centre of the painting is that he wanted to promulgate that women played a very important role in the rebellion against the king, Charles X.
(4)Judgement
5)Describe how contextual approaches is appropriate for judging the artwork.
The painting described the emotional scene happened when people fought against the greedy and tyrannical Charles X. The caps of the figures clearly show that the rebellion was raised from all classes, except the monarchists. The painting has its important meaning to the historians for the painting describes a true background of the political uprising in Paris in July 1830. The Notre Dame is hiden in the gunsmoke. It also shows the same emotion of people come from different classes of people from young patriot to college student.

Sources:
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Leading_the_People
Great Artists Explained
Delacroix