The symbolic meaning of “Liberty”
The personification of the liberty arise from the ancient Rome usually depicted as a woman holding a scepter and a Pileus.
Il Pileus: a cap that was given to freed slaves
In the contemporary times, Liberty is is associated with the cap and the female figure. Different nations and eras have personified liberty in different ways, emphasizing iconography and symbolism, especially when it comes to headwear (such as the pileus and the Phrygian cap).
1. Ancient Rome:
Symbol: Pileus (a cap given to freed slaves).
Representation: A woman holding a pileus, symbolizing freedom.
Meaning: The pileus became a symbol of liberty, representing freedom from slavery.
Louis Simon Boizot, Moi Libre aussi, 1792, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
2. Great Britain:
Historical Context: During the reign of William III of Orange.
Symbol: Liberty appears with a staff (instead of a sword) from which the pileus hangs.
Meaning: Associated with the Glorious Revolution and anti-papal propaganda. The figure of Liberty here signifies political freedom and anti-authoritarianism.
3. United States (American Revolution):
Representation: Liberty is personified as a Native American woman.
Symbol: A young indigenous woman with a pileus or headdress, representing Liberty/America.
Meaning: Liberty becomes tied to the emerging national identity of America, representing freedom from colonial rule.
Edward Francis Burney, An Allegory of America Carrying the Cap of Liberty, 18th century, Yale Center for British Art
4. Abolitionist Movement (United States):
Symbol: The pileus appears in abolitionist publications.
Meaning: The cap becomes a symbol of the fight for the freedom of enslaved people, extending the concept of liberty to the abolition of slavery.
5. France (French Revolution):
Representation: Liberty is often identified with the French Republic.
Symbol: The Phrygian cap replaces the pileus, often worn by revolutionary figures.
Notable Features: In Antoine-Jean Gros’s depiction, Liberty is shown with an exposed breast, symbolizing maternal care and nourishment of the nation.
Meaning: Liberty, France, and the Republic are interconnected, and Liberty becomes a symbol of the revolutionary struggle and the new republican ideals.
Antoine-Jean Gros, La République, 1794, oil on canvas, Versailles, Musee National du Chateau
6. Italy:
Context: After the Treaty of Campoformio.
Representation: Liberty takes on a populist, revolutionary form, often in opposition to the French occupiers.
Symbol: The revolutionary imagery is sometimes used in anti-French criticism, making Liberty a symbol of local resistance.
Notable Depiction: In Delacroix’s famous painting, Liberty is a woman leading the people, representing revolution and the struggle for freedom.
Eugene Delacroix, Liberty Leading the People, 1830, oil on canvas, Louvre Musuem, Paris
General Evolution:
Liberty evolves from a static allegorical figure (holding a cap or a sword) to a more dynamic, populist figure (as in Delacroix’s painting where she is shown leading a revolution).
The headgear (pileus or Phrygian cap) is a central symbol in each country but takes on different political meanings depending on the historical context (anti-authoritarian in Britain, revolutionary in France, abolitionist in America).
Bibliography:
C. Savettieri (a cura di), Modernità per immagini. Un atlante in venti parole, Roma, Carocci, 2023.
