Gericault, Theodore, << ZHAY ree KOH, tay aw DAWR >> (1791-1824), a French artist, was one of the first romantic painters. His most famous work, The Raft of the Medusa (1819), depicts the survivors of an actual shipwreck who were left adrift on a raft at sea, where most of them died.
Gericault was fascinated by the strength and spirit of the horse, especially when the animal fought against restraining ropes and bridles. He painted several versions of The Race of the Riderless Horses. His Epsom Downs Derby (1821) imitates English sporting paintings and prints. Gericault’s last great works were a series of portraits of insane people. They give their subjects a new sympathetic air of calm seriousness and dignity.
Gericault was born in Rouen. His full name was Jean Louis Andre Theodore Gericault. He died at the age of 32 because of complications from a riding accident.
