What is raft of the medusa?

The Raft of the Medusa is a famous painting by French artist Théodore Géricault, completed in 1819. The painting depicts the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of Senegal in 1816.

The captain of the ship had entrusted the navigation to an incompetent officer, resulting in the ship hitting a sandbank and becoming stranded. The crew and passengers were forced to build a makeshift raft and 147 people were set adrift in the open sea, facing extreme hunger, thirst, and violence during their two-week ordeal.

Only 15 survivors were rescued when another ship came across the raft, and the story of the disaster caused a scandal in France. Géricault became interested in the event and spent months researching and sketching to create an accurate and harrowing portrayal of the survivors' suffering and despair.

The painting is considered a masterpiece of Romanticism, with its dramatic composition, intense emotions, and attention to detail. It is now housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris and is considered one of the most important works in the history of Western art.