Top Must-See Masterpieces at the Louvre Museum, Paris

52

8The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault

Géricault’s The Raft of the Medusa is a powerful and politically charged work that captures a real-life tragedy. Painted in 1818-1819, the scene depicts the survivors of the French frigate Méduse, which sank off the coast of Senegal.

After drifting for days on a makeshift raft, only a handful survived. The massive canvas, filled with desperation, horror, and hope, showcases Géricault’s realism and humanism. The work’s emotional depth and drama mark it as one of the defining pieces of the Romantic era.