The Raft of the Medusa
Théodore Géricault
1818–1819
The Raft of the Medusa—originally titled Scène de Naufrage (Shipwreck Scene)—is an oil painting of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791–1824). Completed when the artist was 27, the work has become an icon of French Romanticism. At 491 by 716 cm (16 ft 1 in by 23 ft 6 in), it is an over-life-size painting that depicts a moment from the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of today's Mauritania on 2 July 1816. On 5 July 1816, at least 150 people were set adrift on a hurriedly constructed raft; all but 15 died in the 13 days before their rescue, and those who survived endured starvation and dehydration and practiced cannibalism.
Musée du Louvre, Paris · Image: Wikimedia Commons, public domain · Text: Wikipedia (adapted), CC BY-SA 4.0 · Read more: collections.louvre.fr
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