Allegory of Liberty
Author: María Izquierdo
Name: Allegory of Liberty (Alegoría de la libertad)
Date: 1937
Material: Watercolor on paper
Dimensions: 8.27 × 10.43 inches.
Location: Private collection
María Izquierdo likely created this powerful allegory shortly after completing Allegory of Labor (Alegoría del Trabajo, 1936) and Slaves in a Mythical Landscape (Esclavas en paisaje mítico, 1936), which explore similar themes of female struggle, celestial forces, and allegorical violence. In this composition, thick black smoke billows from a chimney, morphing into the figure of Liberty—a striking, white, winged figure holding a golden torch in one hand while gripping the long, dark hair of five decapitated women with the other. Liberty ascends with her “trophies of war,” rising toward the darkened night sky beyond a crescent moon, surrounded by the same fiery golden rays seen in Allegory of Labor and other works from this phase of her career.
The imagery in Allegory of Liberty (Alegoría de la libertad) subverts traditional expectations: Liberty, an emblem of enlightenment and freedom, is here transformed into an unsettling force of destruction, carrying the severed heads as symbols of sacrifice. This ironic reversal critiques the violence and oppression often disguised as progress, particularly in relation to women’s roles in society. The brutal image suggests that the path to liberation is often marked by suffering, or that the very concept of freedom can itself be a tool of oppression.
Izquierdo’s engagement with Theosophy and Ouspensky’s ideas was further reinforced by the visit of French surrealist Antonin Artaud to Mexico in 1936. During this period, her paintings frequently depicted female figures caught in a violent struggle between earthly constraints and cosmic forces—an element seen in Allegory of Labor and Slaves in a Mythical Landscape. These works collectively function as allegories critiquing the exploitation of women, situating their suffering within a larger metaphysical and social framework.