Answer:
The Raft of the Medusa (1818–1919) by Théodore Géricault (1791 - 1824) is inspired by the tragic wreck of the French frigate Medusa headed for Senegal in the summer of 1816, whose survivors roamed the ocean on a ferry. Géricault catches the moment when some castaways spot a sail on the horizon and it seems as if the ferry of horror and death is throbbing with life and hope.
It is an important work in 19th century French painting, generally considered an icon of Romanticism. It represents an event whose human and political aspects aroused great interest in Géricault.
The painter researched in detail the history of the wreck of the French frigate Medusa off the coast of Senegal in 1816, with 150 people on board. He made several sketches before deciding on his final composition. She gathered documentation and listened to reports from the survivors.
The wreck disaster was compounded by the brutality and cannibalism that followed. Painting is a synthetic view of human life abandoned to its destination.
Géricault decided to represent the vain hope of the wrecked sailors: the lifeboat is visible on the horizon, but sails unseen. The whole composition is oriented towards this hope, culminating in the black figure of the boat.
