The Raft of the Medusa | Théodore Géricault | 1819 Size:24"x16" Holding a sword and winged

Holding a sword and winged helmet

suggesting a struggle or sudden onset of sleep

hyper-spherical halo

In "Dovedale by Moonlight"

almost polite posture of the figure contrasts sharply with its macabre identity

The Raft of the Medusa | Théodore Géricault | 1819 Size:24"x16" Holding a sword and wingedGricault chose to depict this event in order to launch his career with a large scale uncommissioned work on a subject that had already generated great public interest. The event fascinated him, and before he began work on the final painting, he undertook extensive research and produced many preparatory sketches. He interviewed two of the survivors and constructed a detailed scale model of the raft. He visited hospitals and morgues where he could view,