The Raft of the Medusa is a colossal painting, measuring a massive 5 x 7 m.
It's considered a masterpiece of the Romantic movement.
The painting was inspired by a true story.
In 1816, a French ship was en route to Senegal when it struck a sandbank and sank - just 100 km off the Senegalese coast.
About half of the 400 crew managed to scramble onto a makeshift raft.
However, after 2 weeks at sea, tragically only 15 of them had survived.
The survivors' horrific tales of starvation and cannibalism captivated Parisian society.
As a Romantic, Géricault saw his role as evoking strong, raw emotions.
The story of the Medusa was a perfect topic.
The painting is also famous for its strong composition : notice how most of the lines guide our eyes towards the horizon.
They mirror the movements of the men, desperately reaching out to a passing ship!
