This painting was done in 1830 by a French painter named Eugene Delacroix who was inspired by the French Revolution. Its dimensions are 325 by 260 centimeters. The composition is dominated by the figure of liberty that appears to lead free people as they trample over corpses. The figure attracts attention. Her brilliantly colored flag fascinates the eyes of viewers. Its background remains largely abandoned as it is engulfed in smoke from the cannons. Its configuration shows balance between a busy and a dramatic scene. The artwork is manifestly romantic. Its color control is captivating and has intense brushstrokes.
Delacroix’s uses a flag painted in blue, white, and bright red colors in order to draw attention of a passer-by. He places the flag at the center of the canvas to enable that portion to be the focus of attention. He uses the same scheme of colors to paint the clothes of the man attempting to reach for liberty. The colors on the flag represent the Revolution and France as a whole. The combatants are unified with liberty. The yellow color on her clothing is similar to that on the scarf that the wounded man wears. The peasant smock and red belt represent the factory workers of Paris. The painting differentiated people in an attempt to emphasize that every class of the citizens joined hands to achieve the goal of liberty. For example, there is a man in a black hat, waistcoat, and a bowtie who represents the wealthier population, unlike the rest who were factory workers. Delacroix’s brushstroke was emotionally rhythmic in a manner that demonstrates his originality. The diversity of brushstrokes leads to some being large, long, and continuous while others are shorter, divided, and independent.
Delacroix use of light is apparently delicate and in some portions meager. He uses smoke and lays of sunlight to illuminate the head of liberty in order to emphasize her power. Some light is allowed to fall on the slain combatants in an endeavor to remember the liberators of Paris. As she leads people, liberty arouses the sensation of freedom, victory, and power. When they unite to fight under the leadership of the allegorical and glorious Liberty, Parisians are undeterred. Delacroix emphasized the role of the dead so that the views understand that for victory to be achieved there was loss of life. Through the work, Delacroix seems to glorify freedom of choice and probably political independence even if it may have to be attained through intense struggle.
Mona Lisa
Mona Lisa was painted by an Italian named Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1506. It is believed to be the portraiture of a 24 years old Florentine woman called La Gioconda. The painting is also referred to as La Gioconda after Zanobi Del Giocondo who is presumed to have been Mona Lisa’s husband (Cohen, 2004). It’s probably the most famous painting worldwide due to the subject’s enigmatic smile. It is painted on wood using oil paint and measures 77 by 53 centimeters. Currently, it is on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris.
All the same, the subject is disputed. Some historians argue that she might have been a composition of multiple sketches made by the painter earlier on, including those of males. Others suggest that the portrait was Leonardo Vinci’s himself because the proportions of its facial features matched his own. This notwithstanding, Leonardo Vinci’s was a genius who epitomized humanistic ideals of the Renascence, and Mona Lisa is believed to be a typical example of Renascence. The ideas, thoughts, and sketches found in Leonardo Vinci’s notebook portray him as a creative and scientific genius who belonged to the future.
The subject sits in front of a beautiful mountainous landscape attired in the manner of her days. The two portions of her background don’t match as the horizon on the right side is more elevated than that on the right, which makes the subject appear taller when viewed from the left than when viewed from the right. The painting exhibits a range of shading from soft to heavy, with the outlines having impressions of fuzziness. At a closer look, a viewer notes that her eyes and the mouth create the impression that cannot precisely define her mood. Leonardo achieved this by making the corners of her mouth and eyes remain indistinct which shows his painting mastery. Moreover he is able to blend everything such that his brush strokes become invisible. To achieve this invisibility, he employed unperceivable changeovers between dark and light, and also between colors. For example, the sleeves of her clothing which have detailed folds. To illuminate his work, he carefully applied of thin paint layers, a method which for example, creates an appearance of luminance on her.
Mona Lisa is believed to have had been sited on a terrace. However, since some portions of the painting that showed the columns were erased this cannot be authenticated. Some other destruction had been caused by an acid spill in 1956 lending to an extended duration of restoration. Today, international agreements forbid its display anywhere else apart from at the Louvre Museum. Leonardo Vinci adored the painting very much that declined to hand it over to the person who accredited it. By the time he died, he was still its custodian.