In 2018, Liberté, Égalité, Cable TV emerged in Paris’ 19th district near Bassin de la Villette, a reinterpretation of Jacques-Louis David’s 1801 painting Napoleon Crossing the Alps.

Paris, in 2018, was a hub for intense discussions on the migrant crisis and social inequalities; Banksy delivers a contemporary message through a historical reference.

In David’s painting, Napoleon is depicted on horseback crossing the Alps as a powerful leader; Banksy, however, portrays him atop the horse, his face and body shrouded in a red cloak.

Banksy’s title choice modernizes the French Revolution’s “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité” slogan, critiquing consumer culture. It ironically highlights how the Revolution’s ideals have been trivialized in modern society, with liberty, equality, and fraternity replaced by shallow entertainment like cable TV.

Liberté, Égalité, Cable TV critiques authority, consumer culture, and the migrant crisis. The red cloak obscures Napoleon’s identity, symbolizing authority’s blindness and inefficacy, possibly alluding to France’s 2010 burka ban and politicians’ truth-concealing propaganda.

The mural appeared in 2018 amid Europe’s intense migrant crisis. Paris hosted several of Banksy’s critical murals around World Refugee Day. France was embroiled in debates over the burka ban and anti-migrant policies.

Liberté, Égalité, Cable TV is a powerful mural critiquing authority and consumer culture through a historical lens.