The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault: Great Art Explained

Your page is fabulous. The insight you provide is very thought provoking, and we love when you discuss the more technical aspects of the pieces. Keep up the great work. i expect this page will grow by leaps and bounds!

'He was forced to end an intense love affair he had with his married aunt' Wait, what?

Someone else may have mentioned this in the thread but the father with the bandaged forearm is a reference to a recorded incident on the Raft where a man opened up his veins so his child could drink his blood. The child was young as I recall, not the young man depicted in the final painting. Anyone interested in plumbing the depths of this sad tale of the sea should read the excellent Medusa by Jonathan Miles. It’s true what they say; worse things really have happened at sea!

The fact that the painting was made on such a huge canvas can also be his way of involving the viewer into the drama of the painting. Because the figures in the painting will almost be life size due to the scale

Many years ago my sister developed a deep admiration for this painting, and though I had seen it I had not delved deep into its true meaning. She obviously read about its history before I did. In 2008 we both visited Paris and saw it person at the Louvre. Such a statement to make, and want a masterful way to make it. It's incredible how much information you conveyed in such a short video. Well done. I just recently discovered your channel and I'm going through it like a bag of treats.

The amount of research and preparation Gericault put in before even putting brush to canvas is incredibly impressive on its own.

in the middle of the video, my eyes started to tear up. I never knew that it had such a rich background and such a soul-crushing story

The secret of the medusa. The real story!....After returning to Paris the lead figure in the painting, Alexandre Correard, was treated like a monster from which he went on to publish the worlds first published edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1821. I’m fortunate to own one of only seven surviving copies

I’m flabbergasted by your wealth of knowledge. I can’t get enough of your videos, a much needed channel I’d say.

These remind me of PBS specials back in the 70's and 80's, educational, informative, and enlightening.

I had never heard of this painting when I visited The Lourve about 8 years ago. It stopped me in my tracks and I sat on a bench absorbing it for about 45 minutes before moving on. It is the most incredible painting ever created.

How can anyone fail to be moved by this epic painting once the full story is understood. It must have been such a vivid jolt to people at the time - proof that the 'shock of the new' is much older than we tend to think

With all the research that went into this painting, "A pile of corpses" is an unintended compliment.

Today I opened a story in The Guardian about Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' which led me to the comments, in particular this one: "Sometimes, a guiding hand when looking at an artists work can reveal truth in detail, of a kind completely missing from news reports and current affairs programs. This is why we need art, and this is why we need to discuss it, in detail, with others who are further along the path. It’s why we need also the language with which to address the discussion. Just like the Wreck of the Medusa, as explained to me by Julian Barnes, an entire story can open up that you never knew you never knew, and armed with that knowledge, one then has improved one’s chances of understanding the future, which after all is coming anyway, ready or not." And this led me to want to find out more about the Raft of the Medusa which led me to your page which has been enlightening and fascinating. Thank you for the insight!

I know nothing about art, yet I can watch your videos and begin to understand the beauty of these pieces. Thank you

This is my personal favorite piece for all of the reasons. Morbid as it is, the backstories (of both the subject matter and how it was made) have so many consistent details that you can really get glimpses of subjective, lived experiences in this particular time and place. Art reflects life on so many levels. 💛🙏 —on a more intense note, I think it was such A Choice to make the clearest expression that of the old man’s thousand-yard-stare. It’s ptsd, even though that’s our contemporary term for it. I think it is really telling that Gericault was so attuned to the affects of the survivors…. He really shoved their pain into the face of a potentially indifferent public. Quite confronting.

I have seen it in person. I am glad I could. It is quite something. The Parisians are lucky to have such a great museum in their midst.

I'm glad you mentioned the size, when I saw this painting in the Louvre I'd seen it in books but wasn't prepared for how huge it was

that moment when you realise how big it actually was.. just amazing... and great commentary. i always learn something new.

I lived in Paris for 10 years and visited the Louvre very often, in particular to repeatedly see Le Radeau de la Méduse. Your explanation is enlightening. Thank you!