The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault - 600 Words

The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault is considered by many to be one of the greatest paintings of Romantic Art. Here I will discuss Romantic Art, some history behind the painting, the painting in general, and to prove why the first statement is true. If we are going to call this painting Romantic Art one must first know what it actually is or have some sort of idea what is counted as Romanticism or as something that Romantics would do. Romanticism celebrates the spontaneity and the use of the imagination. Abandoning tradition constraints of the art world to explore new and creative ways of expression. Possibly seen as intuitive individualism and primacy of feeling. Romantics didnt reject reason but though emotions were†¦show more content†¦He interviewed the survivors, drew mutilated corpses in the Paris morgue, and had a model created in his studio of the raft. The painting was 16 feet 1 inch by 23 feet 6 inches so it is huge in size and the dramatic impact was jus t as amazing. This gave the people a record of an event that happened in a time before photography. At first glance a viewer might just see people huddled on a raft together, a couple waving down a ship, and trying to get someone off canvases attention while others try to keep those who are weaker on the raft. But if they look closer they might notice other things of interest that are commonly found in Romanticism or Romantic Art. Gericault use of the double triangles in this image of the mast and rope help keep the main focus on the people on the raft who are dying or dead. Suffering against heat, dehydration, starvation, and forced to canalize each other to survive which is a true struggle against nature but also against ones self. It would be a very horrific and emotional experience for anyone to have to choose between eating another human being or dying of starvation. He focuses on the true emotion, the disgusting horror of the event, and what had to be done or was done to survi ve. It has very rustic looking colors in the image, reds, oranges, yellows, browns, blacks, and grays that give it an autumn like color theme. This gives you a sense that theyShow MoreRelatedRaft of the Medusa Essay1174 Words   |  5 PagesRaft of the Medusa Theodore Gericault,Raft of the Medusa, 1818-1819 [oil on canvas]491X716cm The Raft of the Medusa was created by Theodore Gericault in the years 1818 and 1819 during the French Romantic period. This oil painting, which stands at a massive 491x716cm, was created to capture the tragedy of the Medusa.This essay discusses what the Raft of the Medusa was, the reasons behind why Theodore Gericault made this painting and the political impacts it had at the time it was made. 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