When the victory was gained, it was a joy to see the tricolor flying on the top of Notre Dame. I know that Alexandre Dumas noted that I did not fight as some of my friends did, but I too was in danger from the bullets. I have decided that although I have not fought for my country, I will paint for her and so have embarked on some preliminary work.

I have decided to depict a modern subject in my work. I will paint a picture of a barricade and my painting will show the brave and noble struggle for liberty. This decision has lifted my spirits and made me feel positive and in good humour.

The tangled and narrow streets of the city allowed the people to barricade whole sections of it. During the conflict there was anger and despair as well as acts of great heroism.I want to show this human emotion in my painting and to represent the feelings and atmosphere of battle.

There was a lot of smoke and confusion as there always is in war. Dead bodies and wounded on the ground, but people of different social and economical classes combined in the struggle which ensured success.This unity meant victory for democracy.

I have decided to make the composition like a pyramid in the
centre as this will represent the pinnacle of victory. There will be
corpses at the bottom of the picture and they will resemble a
pedestal for the victors.

I want to represent the energy
and movement of the scene,
both in the brush marks and
colours I use.

In the middle will stand Liberty or Marianne as we call her, who is the personification of freedom for us Frenchmen. She will hold our beloved tricolor aloft as the symbol of democracy.

So now I have my idea for the painting. It will be a great and important painting for our country. I will call it Liberty Leading the People and it will be a fitting tribute to our brave countrymen.