Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People' Removed from Louvre for Restoration
Eugène Delacroix's iconic painting 'Liberty Leading the People' (1830) has been taken down from display at the Louvre Museum in Paris for conservation treatment expected to last until spring 2024. The 3.25 by 2.60 meter oil on canvas entered the Louvre's collections in 1874 and has been exhibited there ever since. The work depicts the July Revolution of 1830, when three days of insurrection by the Parisian populace forced King Charles X to abdicate. Delacroix personifies France as a bare-chested woman holding the national flag aloft in one hand and a rifle in the other, with an armed boy at her side symbolizing courage and emancipation. This restoration is part of a broader conservation program at the Louvre: since 2015, over two hundred artworks have undergone treatment, including Leonardo da Vinci's 'Portrait of a Lady' (1490-1497).
Key facts
- Eugène Delacroix's 'Liberty Leading the People' (1830) removed from Louvre for restoration.
- Restoration expected to last until spring 2024.
- Painting measures 3.25 m by 2.60 m, oil on canvas.
- Entered Louvre collections in 1874.
- Depicts the July Revolution of 1830 (27-29 July).
- King Charles X abdicated after the insurrection.
- Over 200 artworks restored at Louvre since 2015.
- Leonardo da Vinci's 'Portrait of a Lady' (1490-1497) also restored.
Entities
Artists
- Eugène Delacroix
- Leonardo da Vinci
Institutions
- Louvre Museum
Locations
- Paris
- France