The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault: Great Art Explained
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ย. 2024
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I started "Great Art Explained" during lockdown. My aim is to make videos which focus on one great artwork. I want to present art in a jargon free, entertaining, clear and concise way with no gimmicks.
Subscribe and click the bell icon to get more arts content. Each video takes me about three weeks to a month, so I download at least once a month:
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This is the story about the painting of the raft that shook the world and scandalised high society. Not only for its anti-royalist statements but also for its choice of a black man as the hero. In an age of slavery.
In its brutality, realism, and raw emotion it captures the essence of a historic event that shocked the French public, a Revolution-weary public that was not easy to shock. The story behind the painting is as devastating as the desperation on canvas.
CREDITS
All the videos, songs, images, and graphics used in the video belong to their respective owners and I or this channel does not claim any right over them.
Thanks to Bart Vergouwe for Dutch Subtitles.
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing.
BOOKS
The Raft of the Medusa - Albert Alhedeff
Gericault: his life and works - Lorenz Eitner
Medusa - Jonathan Miles
Wreck of the Medusa - Alexander McKee
WEBSITES
www.haaretz.co....
www.theguardia....
eclecticlight.....
BLOGS
Theodore Gericault - Aengus Dewar
www.aengusart.....
"Theme" music: JS Bach “Sonata for violin solo No.1 in G Minor”
The Raft of the Medusa, Louvre museum, Paris is in the public domain
Your page is fabulous. The insight you provide is very thought provoking, and we love when you discuss the more technical aspects of the pieces. Keep up the great work. i expect this page will grow by leaps and bounds!
That's so nice of you to say! Thanks
Another very insightful study, thank you.
We have taken art history, especially my husband because he went to art school. That's why we appreciate the interpretation and insight that each person gives to an art piece. Thank you for the recommendation.
Agreed. I just stumbled on to it today. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
@@GreatArtExplained . Can
Someone else may have mentioned this in the thread but the father with the bandaged forearm is a reference to a recorded incident on the Raft where a man opened up his veins so his child could drink his blood. The child was young as I recall, not the young man depicted in the final painting. Anyone interested in plumbing the depths of this sad tale of the sea should read the excellent Medusa by Jonathan Miles. It’s true what they say; worse things really have happened at sea!
Miles' book is useful. Most of the video here however omits the key events and individuals in Géricault's life. Great graphics, however.
Many years ago my sister developed a deep admiration for this painting, and though I had seen it I had not delved deep into its true meaning. She obviously read about its history before I did. In 2008 we both visited Paris and saw it person at the Louvre. Such a statement to make, and want a masterful way to make it.
It's incredible how much information you conveyed in such a short video. Well done. I just recently discovered your channel and I'm going through it like a bag of treats.
So glad you like the channel - thanks so much for the comment - and for watching!
I feel like I’m not seeing all the videos on his channel..like this video didn’t show up, but popped up in my recommendations.. does he post elsewhere?
The amount of research and preparation Gericault put in before even putting brush to canvas is incredibly impressive on its own.
in the middle of the video, my eyes started to tear up. I never knew that it had such a rich background and such a soul-crushing story
Yes the story is horrific. Such a powerful painting. Thanks so much for watching and I appreciate the comment!
dude same
And also the fact that he himself died a very sad death. Such great talent, all is wasted now.
The fact that the painting was made on such a huge canvas can also be his way of involving the viewer into the drama of the painting. Because the figures in the painting will almost be life size due to the scale
Having been to the Louvre, and seem the Venus, Winged Victory, and Mona Lisa; I'd have to say the Raft of the Medusa was my favourite.
They really barely mentioned it in the tour, but it's such a commanding piece to stand in front of, the figures on the canvas feel life sized, like real people. It's wonderful.
I've been to the Louvre this year for the first time and can't overemphasize the difference size and staging of paintings can make. Very impressive experience!
He literally said that in the video
@@merlinkruse5357 I have never forgotten how much this painting affected me.
'He was forced to end an intense love affair he had with his married aunt'
Wait, what?
Exactly that was slipped in quietly as well as the painter collecting human body parts and keeping a severed head for 2 weeks
I wrote basically the same comment lol. It seems that some of the best art, music, etc comes from the strangest people.
GOT baby
History be like
He was the true Jon Snow
I’m flabbergasted by your wealth of knowledge. I can’t get enough of your videos, a much needed channel I’d say.
How can anyone fail to be moved by this epic painting once the full story is understood. It must have been such a vivid jolt to people at the time - proof that the 'shock of the new' is much older than we tend to think
I had never heard of this painting when I visited The Lourve about 8 years ago. It stopped me in my tracks and I sat on a bench absorbing it for about 45 minutes before moving on. It is the most incredible painting ever created.
Today I opened a story in The Guardian about Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' which led me to the comments, in particular this one: "Sometimes, a guiding hand when looking at an artists work can reveal truth in detail, of a kind completely missing from news reports and current affairs programs. This is why we need art, and this is why we need to discuss it, in detail, with others who are further along the path. It’s why we need also the language with which to address the discussion. Just like the Wreck of the Medusa, as explained to me by Julian Barnes, an entire story can open up that you never knew you never knew, and armed with that knowledge, one then has improved one’s chances of understanding the future, which after all is coming anyway, ready or not."
And this led me to want to find out more about the Raft of the Medusa which led me to your page which has been enlightening and fascinating. Thank you for the insight!
The use of implied and intentional lines that direct your eyes to look at every element of the work was genius.
These remind me of PBS specials back in the 70's and 80's, educational, informative, and enlightening.
I’m so glad to have stumbled upon your page. It reminds me of my junior year of highschool when I was enrolled in AP Art history. My teacher Dr. Robert Coad would teach us about art (which included the method, date made, the history behind the painting, etc). I thank him for introducing me to the subject and I thank you for these amazing informative videos.
So glad you’re enjoying the videos - thanks 🙏 for watching Alexis
I visited Paris a couple of years ago, I went to the Louvre and the painting that stuck out the most for me was this one! It left a mark on me, we even went back to the Louvre a second time and i made an effort to see it again. Thank you for such a detailed explanation of the history and painter behind it!
I remember falling in love with this painting when I was in university. Maritime history and paintings are two of my favourite things and the marriage of those two subjects just does something inside me that I can't explain. This video is so, so good.
I lived in Paris for 10 years and visited the Louvre very often, in particular to repeatedly see Le Radeau de la Méduse. Your explanation is enlightening. Thank you!
I know nothing about art, yet I can watch your videos and begin to understand the beauty of these pieces. Thank you
Having seen this in person and knowing the history... now this deep dive I appreciate this work of art so much more. Thank you .
Thanks for watching 🙏
Great art can touch you in an emotional and spiritual way. I started crying while halfway through this video. Thank you for bringing these gems to us who never had an education in classical arts.
This is my personal favorite piece for all of the reasons. Morbid as it is, the backstories (of both the subject matter and how it was made) have so many consistent details that you can really get glimpses of subjective, lived experiences in this particular time and place. Art reflects life on so many levels. 💛🙏
-on a more intense note, I think it was such *A Choice* to make the clearest expression that of the old man’s thousand-yard-stare. It’s ptsd, even though that’s our contemporary term for it. I think it is really telling that Gericault was so attuned to the affects of the survivors…. He really shoved their pain into the face of a potentially indifferent public. Quite confronting.
A fascinating and devastating piece of history was immortalized in this painting. Thank you for the concise but detailed explanation James!
Thanks for watching Bea 🙏
I'm glad you mentioned the size, when I saw this painting in the Louvre I'd seen it in books but wasn't prepared for how huge it was
I have seen it in person. I am glad I could. It is quite something. The Parisians are lucky to have such a great museum in their midst.
The secret of the medusa. The real story!....After returning to Paris the lead figure in the painting, Alexandre Correard, was treated like a monster from which he went on to publish the worlds first published edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in 1821. I’m fortunate to own one of only seven surviving copies
woah
Shelley's Frankenstein was first published in France?
@@barrybarnes96 No, it was first published in England in 1818. The first French translation was published in 1821.
I have never heard such an in-depth explanation of this painting. I am so grateful to you for making these videos - I only came across your channel today and am working my way through all your content. With sincere thanks and appreciation.
Thanks so much Susan - I usually have one new video a month at least - hit the notification bell and you'll hear when I release it. Thank you!
When I saw this painting in person, I was not ready. I had to sit down, and stare for 30 minutes or so.
that moment when you realise how big it actually was.. just amazing... and great commentary. i always learn something new.
Honestly this channel has been such a joy to watch. I watch one every night and have loved every minute! Thank you for explaining the significance of these great works and doing it in an accessible way. Gatekeeping only hurts the art! Thank you for making these!
I have to watch this several times to really capture the story, the history, the painting technique and so on. This is so interesting! Thanks for the upload. I learn so much. I wish I could see the actual painting to fully appreciate it.
These videos make me look at art in a whole new (much more interested) way!
Thanks!
An absolutely astounding presentation! I am so disheartened that I never heard of this tragedy before!
me at thumbnail: what I’ve never heard of this how great can it be
me after 1 minute of backstory: clearly this is a historic masterpiece
This is by FAR the best channel on TH-cam. Brilliant. Addictive. Educational. Inspirational. Thank you sir, a fellow artist.
With all the research that went into this painting, "A pile of corpses" is an unintended compliment.
I was mesmerized by the portrait of the black man. I wish I could find a print of it. Gorgeous. I just found your channel and have been binge watching your episodes. Thank you for creating this amazing content!
Art can be so cruel to its makers. So many die young, in poverty, underappreciated, even ridiculed. Only the passage of time creates their celebrity.
I've watched this channel for about a year without commenting, but during my rewatching, an now that I've got an account, I thought I'd just say that this might be my favourite video of yours. I love the story of the RotM, and this is a very well written and well researched video. Well done 👍
This is so informative and well presented , thank you so much for all the effort , I am literally watching your videos everyday since I came across your channel , I am a young artist and I am so inspired and I feel the power of art even more .
Keep going ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Oh thanks for the great comment! Good luck with your art and thanks for watching!
I am so grateful for this channel and the work you do. I would never have been able to appreciate some of these great works without the knowledge regarding them and the explanations surrounding their creation. Thank you Thank you Thank you.
I have read accounts of how crammed the walls were at the Paris salon. Showing the contemporary scenes of the salon are a nice touch to illustrate this point. Now the painting is displayed as it should be at the Louvre on its own distinct wall.
Thanks for the comment - and thanks for watching!
That father's expression is heart rending. I've felt something close to that, I know that thousand-yard stare. Absolutely brings me to tears. Anybody that could look at this painting and see only corpses...
Also, fantastic to once more learn "practical art" information - I was taught gridding when I took art classes (ages and ages ago, now), but never once did they teach us what it was FOR. Incredible to understand both the very simple, effective technique used to achieve this painting, AND to understand the real scale of it. You see these things in coffee-table books, or even on videos, and so often there's just no way to really know how big they are, or aren't. Very first video of yours I watched was on the Mona Lisa (of course!), and I was really quite shocked to understand how small it is - and here I am at the other end of scale, marveling at how huge "The Raft of the Medusa" really is.
Excellent work, and I'm so glad you're still making videos!
I first read of this painting in The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters by Julian Barnes. As a painter working commissions today I can only imagine the intensity of such work.
Having been an art history student a few years ago, it's nice to now revisit these paintings again through your videos. :D
An intensely dramatic human and political story, and a meticulous technical explanation. Excellent.
Thank you!
Your videos and knowledge about the craft put into art is continuing to inspire me. Thank you for the absolutely magnificent work you are doing.
Mesmerized by the depth of the content and the quality of the video. Hope to see some of my favorite artists like Monet and Sargent in the channel one day!
Monet is up on my channel already - Sargent is planned
Geez. Extraordinary description of this masterpiece. Now I'm going to prepare myself to face the inevitable nightmare...
These videos are one of the reason I want to study art history, it’s all so interesting
Gripping..awesome..deeply informative narrative behind this masterpiece…its historical story as tragic as the artist’s untimely death and delayed acclaim to his work. Thank you for the superb content of your channel.
Stumbled upon it yesterday and i am so glad that i did.....bing watching it since then! thank you for your amazing work.....your description of an art like a story is what makes the channel so addictive!
What an incredible story, both the Medusa and the painting!
I cannot thank you enough for including the frame in the photos.
I've been binge watching the whole channel while drawing some old samurais prints, listening and watching It while preparing the ink and the joint. Great work, i hope this channel will grow up in followers cause the quality deserves some compensation :D
I'd love this channel to feature masterpieces of Asian art as well, i.e. Hokusai's "Great Wave" and Fan Kuan's "Travelers Among Mountains and Streams"
@@TheBearAspirin he told me in another post that a documentary about this is in the making :D
So much explanation, so much history behind a painting ! You are making us hungry to know more and more...and its really a great job You are doing James!🙏🙏
Oh thanks so much - and thanks for watching 🙏
I could watch these all day I’ve never understood art then just watched your channel not long ago and it’s just really relaxing and makes me know how important these creations are thanks for making these videos man and I hope you well on your TH-cam journey
Thanks Luke - appreciate it!
@@GreatArtExplained no problem man you deserve it
I’m loving this channel !! I’ve seen some of these paintings at the Louvre and Other museums and wish I had discovered this earlier
that type of channels we need in youtube...congrats about the work and all the information about masterpieces of art and somehow the ''behind the scenes'' content...
Thanks so much 🙏
Fascinating! This technical and background information is so valuable! Thank you!
WOW this is wonderful ! The painting's history, the techniques, the horror and compassion all beautifully explained.
Thanks so much!
Thank you for these videos, I have been watching for hours! Remarkable content, I’ve always been interested in art and have desired a deeper understanding.
Your channel, as well as similar channels, are really enriching my experiences with art and how I view it. To be honest, I'm drawn to bright, vivid colors, so this is the sort of painting that I probably wouldn't spend much time or thought on if I were to see it out of context. Learning about the artists and the historical relevance gives so much more depth! Thank you for such fascinating informative videos!
I just had my college entrance exam on art history, and it asked me to comment this piece. Thank you so much for uploading this!
Thank you for these insights into the painter and this piece of work. You made it come alive. Greetings from Trinidad, West Indies.
Thank you for watching - and I appreciate the comment!
One of the best channels on TH-cam!
Thank you for giving us your time and knowledge, to explain the meaning of what the paintings portray. So many paintings can be appreciated for their work, but without the explanation, or breakdown in explaining the minute detail, so much is lost to the viewer.
I truly appreciate you sharing your knowledge with those of us that are interested in art
Heartbreaking and astounding in every level of storytelling and understanding..analysis.
Your channel is my new obsession
Oh thanks so much - it’s appreciated 🙏
Love your videos!! Thank you for sharing
an extraordinary piece of art and what a shame it's author did not get the chance to experience the greatness he had earned with it, it sort of reminds me of Vermeer's life story. Lovely narration as always!
I thought about vermeer too
I was given to reference this work by Neil Oliver (GB News) when he related how they, like we, are being cut adrift. The artwork and your explanation is, by no small measure incredible. I could have looked and not seen the ship on the horizon hopelessly sailing by.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Fascinating piece of art + history. Bravo on the video graphics, narration, and information presented.
That breaks my heart that he didn't get to see all the praise the painting receives today.
I'm so glad and thankful to have discovered this channel.
Great work 👌
Personally, the painting is moving. It's always fascinated me, and the suffering definitely shines through. My only problem is that the survivors on the raft are in amazing physical shape. There's really no sign of starvation in their bodies at all. In fact, they're in amazing shape. It takes careful dieting and exercise to achieve and maintain physiques like those of the men in that painting!!💪
Thanks for posting this
Magnificent work deserves the epic story behind it 💐
Stunning. If only Gericault could have lived to see his success.
Oh wow; I never knew the story behind this. That was an amazingly brilliant presentation about a stunning painting. I have a bit of an obsession with the last voyage of the Mignonette; so this really resonates for me. Thank you ever so much for doing these. Can't wait for the next one.
Thanks so much for saying! I really appreciate it!
Thank you very much for these interesting as well as informative videos. They are captivatingly well explained. Thank you.
for what it's worth, this painting was by far the biggest moment for me on my trip to the louvre (definitely not the mona lisa), and i had never heard of Géricault. the story behind the painting is truly amazing.
Fascinating. I didn’t actually know this painting to my shame. I do now!
Outstanding work! I love how this not only broke down the artists process but the climate at the time. Thank you!
Just started painting and the narration is almost more interesting than the painting. Inspiring
Absolutely in love thank you sm for introducing me to this painting
I'll even watch the ads for over 30 seconds so you get the revenue... this channel is amazing.
So sad 😭 he never knew the appreciation like van gogh so young
Thanks for watching!
Goes to show that the opinions of critics are worthless!
Superbly written and presented, this film should be an inspiration to scholars in any field with its succinctness, depth and insight. Very helpful to me today as I research this subject for my own work. Thank you and bravo
Your narration is so enjoyable and provokes interest.
I didnt knw abt this painting until today. second in popularity to Mona Lisa,, m utterly shocked. I visited Louvre in 2018 and didnt know this.
Great study... 👍 left me speechless & overpowering ❣️
Thanks so much for watching - I appreciate it 🙏
How have I been alive for 21 and not learned about this painting. Its one of the most horrific, powerful and stunning things I have even seen.
I learned quite a lot about the painting and the artist. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this great video...and for the fascinating and tragic background story.
In the Louvre looking at this painting right now. Hearing the story behind it makes this much more meaningful
I love it when people say that!
Once again...I had no idea :) Great story!
Wonderful. Wonderful painting. Wonderful story.
I saw this painting first in the video from Beyoncé and Jay-Z "Apes*it" and that song and whole spot make me cry every time I would watch it. Thank you for providing us with context and explanation of all these masterpieces especially this one
This was fascinating. Thank you. I was unfamiliar with this painting and artist.
Once again, a triumph of art historic explanation. - formerly Curator's Office 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Thanks for such a nice comment!
From what I have read the painting got a great response just a few months later in London & Gericault was able to pocket 20,000 francs at that time as part of commission the exhibition earned as fees from this painting. His health deteriorated mostly because of accidents while horse riding & other such adventures. I couldn't find much evidence that this work was poorly received in his lifetime. Though I can definitely agree that the adulation is far,far higher today.
Hi sagar - the painting was popular with the public (even in paris) but not the critics. The “pile of corpses” and “a far cry from ideal beauty” were standard comments. The anti-slavery aspect was criticised too. Some social critics applauded it though.
Gericault was most upset that the Louvre didn’t buy it which was standard practise.
In London it got a better reception but was seen by many as sensationalist entertainment. He did make money in London from the entrance fees.
Thanks for your comment 🙏
@@GreatArtExplained Thanks. You made a fantastic video,I am just nitpicking. :D
The part of the video on composition was very educative for me. Fantastic editing overall,the video just flows from one aspect to another. Keep up the good work,we are blessed to have a YT channel of this quality on this subject. 🙏
Thanks so much - I appreciate it.
It is a valid point though. For all of these videos I read lots of papers and at least 2-3 books, I watch a lot of documentaries too, and often the ‘facts’ contradict each other.
Also Gericault was a bit of a drama Queen, so I think he’d have been disappointed whatever happened.
@@GreatArtExplained I can understand the dilemma. It's true with a lot of history & age old accounts. At the very basic level,history too is just the observations or collection of observations of a few men. What they omitted we shall never know & the way they articulate things we can only take it at face value unless we triangulate rigorously. You have a tough job. :)
Thank you for these incredible videos!