John Berger Liberty Leading The People

Liberty Leading the People “Every image embodies a way of seeing, our perception or appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing” (Berger 142). In other words, Berger is saying if ten people look at the same piece of art each interpretation is going to be just as unique and different as the person looking at it. Based on one’s knowledge of the artist, time period, and the painting itself gives a whole different perspective than someone who doesn’t know any of the history. Also different life experiences can change the way a person can relate a painting to themselves. John Berger is known as one of Europe’s most influential Marxist critics. His belief is that to fully understand a painting you must understand the
artist and the history of that time period. I agree with Berger in the sense that looking at a piece of art without knowing that prior knowledge versus looking at a piece of art with that prior knowledge can completely change your perspective on the painting. However if you look at paintings like Picasso’s “The Old Guitarist” one could assume Picasso was depressed at the time because of the deep dark blues and droopy head of the frail looking guitarist without knowing that he indeed was feeling depressed due to the death of one of his friends (Pablo Picasso). One of the most popular French paintings that came out of the French revolution is “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugene Delacroix.
The painting is showing us Liberty as the woman with the bright tricolored flag which resembles democracy and men of different social classes following her. The man in the top hat represents the bourgeoisie and the man with the cap on the other side of Liberty represents the labor class. This symbolizes the two classes coming together to fight against the monarchy and to fight for democracy. The blue in the skies shows hope and a new light that comes with the revolt against the king. The dead mound of people that she stands on is almost like a pedestal which glorifies Liberty even more. Also among the dead bodies there is a dead soldier which shows the weakness of the monarchy and the fierceness and power of the people following Liberty. The clashing dark and light colors as well as the vivid blues and reds also make the painting more energetic, more powerful, and more patriotic as Liberty leads the people to
democracy. Looking back at the history of the French Revolution we know that the actual outcome of the event was rather stale. The reign of King Charles X ended but a new king was brought to power in his place keeping the monarchy in control. Knowing this piece of history really makes one think about what exactly the artist was trying to convey. If the actual event of the French Revolution wasn’t that significant what inspired him to paint this very inspirational picture? I believe he was trying to glorify the spirit of the Parisian people and to show France as one country that stands strong together. This painting shows the power and strength of the people of France rather than the negative side of having a monarchy. Taking a look through Berger’s eyes one might assume the reason Delacroix painted this was a political statement saying that no matter how hard the Parisian life is they will always stick together for democracy and that’s Delacroix’s way of saying democracy is right and monarchy is wrong. Although one doesn’t need much background knowledge about the era or the painter to grasp the concept that it is conveying. This painting could have the same analysis with or without using Berger’s way of seeing art. Though when Berger talks about reproduction he says “It is not a question of reproduction failing to reproduce certain aspects of an image faithfully; it is a question of reproduction making it possible, even inevitable, that an image will be used for many different purposes and that the reproduced image, unlike an original work, can lend itself to them all” (Berger 153). Berger says that once an image is reproduced it can be transformed and made purpose for many different things sometimes leading a viewer away from the artist’s main point. “When a painting is reproduced by a film camera it inevitably becomes material for the film-maker’s argument” (Berger 154). Taking a reproduction of a painting, or even a certain portion of the painting, can be used as a bias for whoever made that reproduction. The reproduction of Liberty leads the people can be used, for example, as a feminist movement instead of a revolutionary one. If a writer talks about how women are more powerful than men and they put this painting in their essay the whole meaning of the picture changes from a revolutionary act to one that empowers women.
According to Berger reproduction of an image can largely accompany mystification of an image. “Mystification is the process of explaining away what might otherwise be evident” (Berger 146). So in the example of the painting being used for a feminist movement instead of a revolutionary one the mystification comes with changing the point of the painting. A writer can make a reader believe anything they want them to believe about an image with a little mystification but what Berger tries to do is un-mystify these paintings so that we as the viewer can respect and fully situate ourselves in the history and life of the artist rather than the opinions of the writer mystifying the image. Berger says, “The art of the past no longer exists as it once did. Its authority is lost. In its place there is a language of images.” (Berger 160). What Berger means is when a painting is mystified by a writer, the history and truth of that painting is lost and replaced with the words of the writer who is mystifying it which robs us of our own past. This painting by Delacroix was not made to be a feminist movement; it was made to be patriotic and revolutionary! By mystifying this painting we are being robbed of our history and the artist is being robbed of the message he was actually trying to convey which in return changes our views on that of the past. Everyone has their own interpretation of every piece of art there is but to really know what the painting is trying to tell you knowledge is power.
Knowing an artist was depressed while they made a piece of art completely changes the effect if they were newly married and blossoming with joy. Anything reproduced can be used however the reproducer wants it to be used even if it completely changes the true meaning. Berger looks at the truth and facts about a piece of art instead of just the colors and shapes. He really tries to understand how the painter was feeling and what the painter was thinking when they were painting on the canvas we look at in a museum surrounded by many other people doing the same thing as you thinking about something entirely different. Art is what we make of it but knowing about the painter shows us that art is truly what the artist made it and that is how I think it should
be.

Works Cited
"Pablo Picasso." The Old Guitarist by. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2013. .
Berger, John. “Ways of Seeing.”
Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers. Ed. Bartholomae, David, and Tony Petrosky. Boston Bedford/St. Martin 's, 1999. 141-160. Print.