Simon Lee's Head Symbolism Of Liberty

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The only woman depicted in the painting is liberty. Her breasts are shown and her large body frame is wrapped in a pale yellow dress. Her right hand holds the French flag high while her left hand holds a musket at her side. She stands barefoot amongst the crowd of fighting men and several dead bodies lie at her feet. Liberty maintains a strong position that is beckoning the men to continue fighting in the name of freedom. Her bare-skinned appearance resembles the vulnerable state of France and the Phrygian cap, commonly associated with the French Revolution, she wears on her head symbolizes liberty. Simon Lee, an associate professor in the history of art at the University of Reading, describes Liberty as “visually striking, capturing the excitement