La Liberté guidant le peuple — Eugène Delacroix

The face of revolution

Flag raised high, musket in hand, Liberty strides over the barricade and leads the people of Paris forward: a worker with a sabre, a man in a top hat, a boy brandishing two pistols. Through the smoke, the towers of Notre-Dame rise in the distance. Eugène Delacroix painted this masterpiece in the months following the July Revolution of 1830, the three days that toppled King Charles X. Shown at the 1831 Salon, it became the most famous image of French Romanticism and, over time, a universal symbol of freedom. A restoration completed by the Louvre in 2024 brought back the vivid blue, white and red of the flag.

Powerful and full of movement, this print makes a striking centerpiece for a living room, an office or any space that calls for energy. It pairs naturally with The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault, Delacroix's friend and mentor.

• Artist: Eugène Delacroix (1798–1863)
• Original title: La Liberté guidant le peuple
• Date: 1830
• Medium: Oil on canvas, 260 × 325 cm
• Collection: Musée du Louvre, Paris

Read more in our guide: What Is Romantic Art? 15 Iconic Paintings.