The Raft of the Medusa —originally titled Scène de Naufrage —is an oil painting of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault. Completed when the artist was 27, the w
JEAN LOUIS THÉODORE GÉRICAULT La Balsa de la Medusa
Detail from the lower left corner of the canvas showing two dying figures
Detail of the crew member waving his handkerchief to draw the ship's attention
Diagram showing the outline of the two pyramidal structures that form the basis of the work. The position of the Argus rescue vessel is indicated by the yellow dot.
Méduse was a 40-gun Pallas-class frigate of the French Navy, launched in 1810. She took part in the Napoleonic Wars during the late stages of the Mauritius campaign of 1809–1811 and in raids in the Ca
The Raft of the Medusa
…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…
Méduse sailing close-hauled with brigs in the background
Aftercastle of Méduse, by Ambroise-Louis Garneray
Line-crossing ceremony aboard Méduse on 1 July 1816