Soulscape 32, The Raft of the Medusa by Géricault

From My Upcoming Book: Soulscape: 100 Days of Artistic Evolution

Géricault, The Raft of the Medusa, painted in 1818–1819. The Louvre Museum, Paris. WC.

Art Reveals the Fortitude of the Human Spirit

The Raft of the Medusa is one of the most horrific depictions in all of art. Yet it also offers tremendous hope. The large painting (16 feet × 24 feet) shows a makeshift raft built from the carcass of the ship they were on, struggling through a storm with huge waves cresting in the distance. The composition of the figures mimics a swelling wave, with two figures at the top of the pyramid waving material that flutters in the wind, serving as the exclamation point of the wave’s crest. At the bottom of the canvas, a few figures are dead or dying, accented by their poses and lifeless, coldly colored bodies.

Géricault originally painted the rescuing ship closer and larger but later decided to set it way off on the horizon, so small it might not be noticed at first. This subtle detail accentuates the reality that they may never be rescued.

Though this painting allows us to experience horrendous suffering, it also reveals our resilience and strength to endure. Whenever we face personal tragedies, we can recall this painting and realize we are not alone, it could be worse, and we will manage to get through it.

Soulscape: 100 Days of Artistic Evolution