Libertas

Libertas~

Might do a couple more things to it but it's finished for the most part. I used mainly acrylic on canvas panel 11x14

The Roman goddess of freedom, Libertas who bears a torch of illumination and crown (halo) of enlightenment, also a Tabula Ansata (a tablet evoking the law) upon which is inscribed the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776. Also the same year the Bavarian Illuminati was established. This is Lady Liberty. I'm not sure if many people are aware of this but this is only 1 of 3 which was given to us by the french in the late 1800's The artist is named Frédéric Bartholdi. This was also heavily influenced by freemasonry. The other two are still in France but they are not as big, they are life sized. This is supposed to be a symbol of truth, light, freedom, guidance,ect but that is not what I get out of this at all when I look at society today which is why I wanted to do a piece of the statue withered and decayed. There is a long philosophical understanding that has led me to this but I think it's best left unsaid. There is a quote however that I think is appropriate for this that I will mention and it is this, that "there are none more hopelessly enslaved then those who falsely believe they are free" - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.


Of course we have personal freedoms more so then many but that's not what i'm getting at. What I am asking...is that, what does it mean to truly be free? Is it something that is dictated to us as truth by another or is it an inherent right that is something that we can only answer for ourselves as individual conscious beings? Such an idea as freedom given our history is Definitely something worth spending some serious thought on.