What Work of Art Inspired the Famous Statue of Liberty?

Nowadays, everyone is well acquainted with both the famous Statue of Liberty – France's gift to America – and Delacroix's painting "Liberty Leading the People," but do you know what connects them? There is truly more in common than meets the eye.

The Statue of Liberty was designed by the French sculptor F. A. Bartholdi. It was intended as a gift to America – a celebration marking the end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Its construction was overseen by G. Eiffel, widely known as the architect of one famous tower. The statue depicts the Roman goddess of liberty, holding a torch and a tablet of laws inscribed with the date of the American Declaration of Independence – July 4, 1776 – but do you know what inspired the statue's creator, Bartholdi?

The Statue of Liberty in New York, USA

Art historians agree that the famous statue was inspired by the masterpiece of the great Romantic painter E. Delacroix, "Liberty Leading the People." The painter enthusiastically supported the overthrow of Charles X in 1830, writing to his brother: "Although I may not have fought for my country, I shall at least have painted for her." The painting depicts a formidable personification of Liberty, holding the French flag, leading the rebels over the bodies of the fallen. This figure is a striking reference to antiquity – Liberty, wrapped in flowing drapery, evokes the sculpture of Nike. It also carried a political charge, expressing support for democracy, and Delacroix certainly knew that democracy was born in ancient Greece. Although the painting may not appear so today, in its time it was rebellious not only in subject matter but also in technique – bright colors, attention to light, and quick brushstrokes. It was a genuine challenge to the snobbish French Academy of Art (the very same one that later rejected the Impressionists), which held that depicting the lower classes was vulgar, that brushstrokes should be applied thinly and refined until invisible, and that colors should blend gently into one another.

E. Delacroix "Liberty Leading the People"

And a spicy detail to finish – it is believed that the man with a rifle to Liberty's right is the painter Delacroix himself, lending his support to the uprising.

E. Delacroix, self-portrait