Art is History

Art is History

“Art truly reveals our history without us really knowing it and that's one thing I love about it.”

• Ferrick  Moore

Have you ever stared at a painting in a museum or art gallery and were just like, “Wow! What a beautiful painting… now what is it?”. Well, let me reassure you, you're not the only one. During an art seminar I attended at school I got a teeny-tiny glance at some of the most famous and magnificent paintings only held in Paris, France. For example, “Liberty Leading the People”, by Eugène Delacroix. Painting of "Liberty Leading the People"

Delacroix’s brilliant and patriotic painting shocked me because of how much realism and compassion it contained, but why. I mean, why would such a stunning painting be so patriotic and intense, what was its prerogative? I soon came to learn, that one can not simply fully understand a painting, until they know the background and history of when the painting was created.

When I did my research, on the dates around the creation of “Liberty Leading the People”, I found out that Paris was going through an enormous uprising of the people against the government of the city. Now, with just that little bit of knowledge, I have realized the partial meaning and reason of why the painting was named the “Liberty Leading the People”. People were being led by, “Liberty”, the robust women carrying the musket and flag, to liberate themselves from the government's regime. The picture shows the fight and perseverance the people exhibited when fighting for their liberty. Just a fun fact, if you did not know, Delacroix included himself in the painting (the one with the top hat on the left carrying a musket in both hands). The Louvre Museum

Without any historic background of the painting, I would not have been able to contextually grasp the gist of the painting, but if I were to have the opportunity to go to Paris (hint hint to the TYTT committee) and be able to be actually be taught the historic background of Paris. I would be able to fully understand the painting even more and other paintings I have not yet discovered.