The Raft of the Medusa
Artist: Théodore Géricault
Year Composed: 1818
Artistic Movement: Romanticism
Nationality: France
Floor Found in Château: Second Garden
Year Composed: 1818
Artistic Movement: Romanticism
Nationality: France
Floor Found in Château: Second Garden
About the Artwork
As an iconic staple of French Romantic art, Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa shows a crowded, wooden raft in the aftermath of the wreck of the Medusa, a French boat that crashed off the coast of Mauritania in 1816. Only 15 souls survived of the almost 150 that originally boarded the vessel. Géricault depicts the chaos, terror, and torment of the scene, adding to the Romantic aesthetic while also telling the horrifying story of the aftermath of the wreck, which led to murder, cannibalism, and terror of the survivors. The 16-feet-high by 23-feet-wide painting is massive in scale, allowing viewers to fully become immersed in the terror and grandeur of the scene.
About the Artist
Alongside Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault was a pioneer of the French Romantic Age of art. Born in Rouen, Géricault started his career by replicating the styles and techniques of Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez. Géricault's interest in military scenes was apparent within his emotion-filled paintings, heightening the drama of the moment and narrative. This can be visually seen within paintings such as The Raft of the Medusa (1818), The Charging Chasseur (1812), and his Heroic Landscape with Fishermen (1818).
About the Movement
The Raft of the Medusa was composed in the Romantic Age of art. Romantic art originated in Europe during the end of the 18th Century (or the end of the 1700s), and spread through the middle of the 19th Century (or the 1800s). It emphasizes emotion and feeling of individuals as well as almost glorifying nature and history. Unlike the Baroque and Renaissance where the focus was more Classical in nature, Romantic art focused more on the Medieval, adding sort of a heroic sense to the artworks. Some of the most famous Romantic artists included Eugène Delacroix, J.M.W. Turner, and Francisco Goya.
Location of Original Work of Art: Louvre Museum, Paris, France
As an iconic staple of French Romantic art, Théodore Géricault's The Raft of the Medusa shows a crowded, wooden raft in the aftermath of the wreck of the Medusa, a French boat that crashed off the coast of Mauritania in 1816. Only 15 souls survived of the almost 150 that originally boarded the vessel. Géricault depicts the chaos, terror, and torment of the scene, adding to the Romantic aesthetic while also telling the horrifying story of the aftermath of the wreck, which led to murder, cannibalism, and terror of the survivors. The 16-feet-high by 23-feet-wide painting is massive in scale, allowing viewers to fully become immersed in the terror and grandeur of the scene.
About the Artist
Alongside Eugène Delacroix, Théodore Géricault was a pioneer of the French Romantic Age of art. Born in Rouen, Géricault started his career by replicating the styles and techniques of Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, and Diego Velázquez. Géricault's interest in military scenes was apparent within his emotion-filled paintings, heightening the drama of the moment and narrative. This can be visually seen within paintings such as The Raft of the Medusa (1818), The Charging Chasseur (1812), and his Heroic Landscape with Fishermen (1818).
About the Movement
The Raft of the Medusa was composed in the Romantic Age of art. Romantic art originated in Europe during the end of the 18th Century (or the end of the 1700s), and spread through the middle of the 19th Century (or the 1800s). It emphasizes emotion and feeling of individuals as well as almost glorifying nature and history. Unlike the Baroque and Renaissance where the focus was more Classical in nature, Romantic art focused more on the Medieval, adding sort of a heroic sense to the artworks. Some of the most famous Romantic artists included Eugène Delacroix, J.M.W. Turner, and Francisco Goya.
Location of Original Work of Art: Louvre Museum, Paris, France