Who painted The Raft of the Medusa in 1818-1819?

The Raft of the Medusa, a major work of French Romanticism, was painted by French artist Théodore Géricault between 1818 and 1819. This dramatic and powerful painting was inspired by a tragic true story: the sinking of the French frigate Medusa in 1816.

La Medusa was a French naval frigate that ran aground off the coast of Mauritania in July 1816. The sinking resulted in a terrible human tragedy: over 140 people were set adrift on a makeshift raft. After 13 days at sea, only 15 survivors were rescued, the rest having succumbed to hunger, thirst and violence.

Deeply affected by this catastrophe, Géricault set out to paint a picture that would capture the distress and suffering of the shipwrecked. He carried out extensive research, interviewed survivors and consulted official reports to ensure the accuracy of his work. He even visited morgues to better understand the anatomy of the corpses and make his painting as realistic as possible.

The Raft of the Medusa is a large-scale oil-on-canvas painting, measuring around 491 cm wide by 716 cm high. It depicts a moment of despair and desperate hope, when the shipwrecked finally catch sight of a vessel on the horizon. The figures’ expressions, posture and dynamic composition convey intense emotion and a sense of chaos.

When it was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1819, The Raft of the Medusa elicited mixed reactions. Some were impressed by its power and realism, while others were shocked by its crude depiction of human suffering. Nevertheless, the work was quickly recognized as a masterpiece of Romanticism, and played an important role in the evolution of 19th-century art.

Today, The Raft of the Medusa is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris, where it continues to attract attention and admiration. It is considered one of Géricault’s most important works, and an emblematic example of Romanticism in painting. The work illustrates art’s ability to deal with contemporary events and express deep human emotions.

Théodore Géricault painted The Raft of the Medusa between 1818 and 1819. Inspired by the tragic sinking of the frigate Medusa, this work is a masterpiece of Romanticism, known for its dramatic realism and intense emotional expression.