The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
4/27/20261 hr 43 min
How did the gruesome aftermath of a shipwreck inspire a masterpiece of Romantic art? And did Théodore Géricault really acquire body parts so he could capture the appearance of rotting flesh? Join Alastair and James as they tell the true story of a doomed ship and an extraordinary painting that laid bare the depths of humanity - The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault. Artworks in this episode include: Théodore Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa, 1819, Louvre, Paris Horace Vernet, Portrait of Théodore Géricault, c.1823, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City Théodore Géricault, An Officer of the Imperial Horse Guards Charging, 1812, Louvre, Paris To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsAlastair Sooke· Host0:00
[music] Hello, and welcome to Stories of Art. I'm Alastair Sook.
James Fox· Host0:05
And I'm James Fox. A fragile raft is lost on a choppy ocean. On board are the last survivors of a shipwreck. The makeshift vessel teems with gangrenous men, some standing, some collapsed, some already dead. They have been on the water without food, virtually without drink, for twelve days. Most have already given up hope. But as the sun pierces a gloomy sky, they spot a ship on the horizon. Two men clamber atop an empty barrel, shout and scream at the top of their parched voices, and try desperately to flag down their rescuer. Will it spot them? Only time will tell. Now that, Alastair, is my description of Théodore Géricault's painting, The Raft of the Medusa.
Alastair Sooke· Host0:58
Ve- very dramatic.
James Fox· Host0:59
Thank you very much. He completed it in eighteen nineteen, so it's a vast, monumental canvas, one of the most celebrated paintings of the nineteenth century, and it's the subject of this week's episode. The first of our episodes concentrating not on the life of an artist or a turning point in art history, but on a single work of art. And The Raft of the Medusa is a barnstormer, isn't it?
Alastair Sooke· Host1:21
I mean, it is unbelievably powerful. I was quite lucky in that recently I was on a work trip in Paris,