The work’s macabre realism, its treatment of the raft incident as epic-heroic tragedy, and the virtuosity of its drawing and tonalities combine to give the painting great dignity and carry it far beyond mere contemporary reportage. The shipwreck had scandalous political implications in France-the incompetent captain, who had gained the position because of connections to the Bourbon Restoration government, fought to save himself and senior officers while leaving the lower ranks to die-and so Géricault’s picture of the raft and its inhabitants was greeted with hostility by the government. Only a handful remained when they were rescued at sea. Because of a shortage of lifeboats, some 150 survivors embarked on a raft and were decimated by starvation during a 13-day ordeal, which descended into murder and cannibalism. The large painting (13.75 × 23.5 feet ) depicts the aftermath of the 1816 wreck of the French Royal Navy frigate the Medusa, which ran aground off the coast of Senegal. Individual suffering rather than collective drama is vividly portrayed in The Raft of the Medusa. Géricault was something of an exception, but he was separated from his immediate predecessors both by temperament and by the sincerity of his approach. The French Revolution greatly stimulated interest in the depiction of contemporary events, but, after the fall of Napoleon in 1815, few artists were disposed to depict such subjects. Géricault astonished viewers by painting, in harrowing detail, not an antique and noble subject but a recent gruesome incident. The Raft of the Medusa, painting (1819) by French Romantic artist Théodore Géricault depicting the survivors of a shipwreck adrift and starving on a raft. Théodore Géricault: The Raft of the Medusa Fine Art Images-Heritage Images/age fotostock SpaceNext50 Britannica presents SpaceNext50, From the race to the Moon to space stewardship, we explore a wide range of subjects that feed our curiosity about space!. Learn about the major environmental problems facing our planet and what can be done about them! Saving Earth Britannica Presents Earth’s To-Do List for the 21st Century.Britannica Beyond We’ve created a new place where questions are at the center of learning.100 Women Britannica celebrates the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment, highlighting suffragists and history-making politicians. #Medusa painting how toCOVID-19 Portal While this global health crisis continues to evolve, it can be useful to look to past pandemics to better understand how to respond today.
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