The raft of the Medusa is a significant work of French art of the 1900s which is generally considered to be an emblem of Idealism. This portrays an event of which Géricault was particularly interested in human and political aspects: the loss of a French fleet with more than 150 troops on the deck off the coast of Senegal in 1816. Finally settling on his final composition, the painter studied the story in-depth and made numerous sketches that demonstrate the expectation of rescue.
