Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
Riderless Horse Race, c. 1817
Oil on canvas
Height: 45 cm (17.7 in); Width: 60 cm (23.6 in)
Louvre Museum
The Race of the Riderless Horses is based on a genuine event that Gericault witnessed, in which riderless Barbary horses were encouraged to race each other down the Via del Corso (corso meaning race). Barbary horses were feisty and spirited animals and the riderless beasts galloping down the street would be unbroken and sometimes entirely unused to the presence of people. Carnival in Rome would end with the racing, but after an unwary spectator was trampled and killed in 1874 the practise stopped and the carnival itself went into decline (until recently, Carnival was resurrected in 2008!). However, while the practice was still in its heyday, the horse-loving Gericault saw the spectacle and was awed by the demonstration of power and might as the horses surged past, fighting for supremacy. More on this painting
Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault (26 September 1791 – 26 January 1824) was a French painter and lithographer, whose best-known painting is The Raft of the Medusa (See below). Although he died young, he was one of the pioneers of the Romantic movement.
The raft of the Medusa, c. 1819
Shipwreck scene (Title of the Salon of 1819)
Oil on canvas
Height: 4.91 m; Width: 7.16 m
The most horrifying part of the shipwreck had been the drama of 149 wretches abandoned on a raft with only some casks of wine to live on, and the ensuing drunkenness and abominations. When the frigate Argus found the raft, after many days, she was only able to rescue fifteen survivors, of whom five died after being brought ashore. After some hesitation, Géricault chose this last episode — the sighting of the Argus by the survivors on the raft. With regard to the latter, he set himself to the task of carrying out an inquest as thoroughly as any examining magistrate. He rented a studio opposite the Beaujon hospital, so that he could make anatomical studies of the dying. More on this painting
The incident became a national scandal, and Géricault's dramatic interpretation presented a contemporary tragedy on a monumental scale. The painting's notoriety stemmed from its indictment of a corrupt establishment, but it also dramatized a more eternal theme, that of man's struggle with nature. It surely excited the imagination of the young Eugène Delacroix, who posed for one of the dying figures.
Manner of Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
The Life Raft
Oil on board
15 1/2 x 18 1/2 in
Private collection
After Théodore Géricault
The wreck, also known as La tempète
Oil on canvas
505 x 615
Rouen, Museum of Fine Arts
Born in Rouen, France, Géricault was educated in the tradition of English sporting art by Carle Vernet and classical figure composition by Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, a rigorous classicist who disapproved of his student's impulsive temperament while recognizing his talent. Géricault soon left the classroom, choosing to study at the Louvre, where from 1810 to 1815 he copied paintings by Rubens, Titian, Velázquez and Rembrandt.
Deianira was a Calydonian princess in Greek mythology whose name translated as "man-destroyer" or "destroyer of her husband". She was the wife of Heracles and, in late Classical accounts, his unwitting murderer, killing him with the poisoned Shirt of Nessus. She is the main character in Sophocles' play Women of Trachis.
Attributed to Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
Nessus abducts Dejanira
Oil on canvas
72 x 53 cm
Private collection
She was described as the daughter of Dexamenus, Heracles raped her and promised to come back and marry her. While he was away, the centaur Eurytion appeared and demanded her as his wife. Her father being afraid, agreed but Heracles returning before the marriage had slayed the centaur and claimed his bride. More on Nessus abducts Dejanira
Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
Léda et le cygne/ Leda and the Swan
Oil on board
15 1/8 x 15 in. (38.4 x 38.1 cm.)
Private collection
Leda, in Greek legend, usually believed to be the daughter of Thestius, king of Aetolia, and wife of Tyndareus, king of Lacedaemon. She was also believed to have been the mother (by Zeus, who had approached and seduced her in the form of a swan) of the other twin, Pollux, and of Helen, both of whom hatched from eggs. Variant legends gave divine parentage to both the twins and possibly also to Clytemnestra, with all three of them having hatched from the eggs of Leda, while yet other legends say that Leda bore the twins to her mortal husband, Tyndareus. Still other variants say that Leda may have hatched out Helen from an egg laid by the goddess Nemesis, who was similarly approached by Zeus in the form of a swan.The divine swan’s encounter with Leda was a subject depicted by both ancient Greek and Italian Renaissance artists; Leonardo da Vinci undertook a painting (now lost) of the theme, and Correggio’s Leda (c. 1530s) is a well-known treatment of the subject. More Leda and The Swan
Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
Jupiter and Antiope, after Correggio
Oil paper laid down on canvas
13 x 10 in. 33 x 25.4 cm.
Private collection
Jupiter and Antiope is a frequent theme in western painting.
The painting is based on the story of the seduction of Antiope by the god Zeus in Greek mythology, later imported into Roman mythology and told of the god Jupiter. According to this myth, Antiope, the beautiful daughter of King Nycteus of Thebes, was surprised and seduced by Zeus in the form of a satyr. She became pregnant and bore the twins Amphion and Zethus, who later killed Nycteus' brother Lycus in revenge for his treatment of Antiope and took over the city of Thebes. More on Jupiter and Antiope
During this period at the Louvre he discovered a vitality he found lacking in the prevailing school of Neoclassicism. Much of his time was spent in Versailles, where he found the stables of the palace open to him, and where he gained his knowledge of the anatomy and action of horses.
Théodore Gericault
Mounted Trumpeters of Napoleon's Imperial Guard, c. 1813/1814
Oil on canvas
60.4 x 49.6 cm (23 3/4 x 19 1/2 in.)
National Gallery of Art, Washington
Between 1812 and 1814, while Napoleon's armies waged war across Europe, Théodore Gericault began a series of small canvases depicting Napoleonic cavalry officers. These paintings provided Gericault with the opportunity to explore two of the subjects that he loved best: the horse and the pomp of military life.
Gericault does not portray an individual, but rather a romantic ideal of the dashing soldier. The painting's composition is based upon strong visual contrasts. Gericault used short, rapid brushstrokes to define the central figures in the foreground while using broader, more sweeping strokes to create a neutral background. The brightly colored parade uniform gives the painting a sensuous appeal and provides visual unity as it is repeated across the canvas. Produced during the height of war, the artist makes no reference to its hardships or defeat; instead he creates a romantic image of military grandeur. More on this painting
Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
The Charging Chasseur, c. 1812
Oil on canvas
Height: 349 cm (11.4 ft); Width: 266 cm (104.7 in)
Louvre Museum
The Charging Chasseur, or An Officer of the Imperial Horse Guards Charging is an oil painting on canvas of about 1812 by the French painter Théodore Géricault, portraying a mounted Napoleonic cavalry officer who is ready to attack.
The painting was Géricault's first exhibited work and it is an example of Géricault's attempt to condense both movement and structure in its art. it represents French romanticism. More on this painting
Géricault, Théodore dit aussi Géricault, (Rouen, 1791 - Paris, 1824)
France École de Officier de chasseurs à cheval de la garde impériale chargeant/ Charging Imperial Guard Chasseur Officer
Oil on canvas
Hauteur 0,53 m; Largeur : 0,4 m
Louvre Museum
Manner of Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
Cavalry soldiers (cuirassiers) in combat
Oil on canvas
26" x 21.5"
Private collection
Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
The Wounded Cuirassier, c. 1814
Oil on canvas
Height: 358 cm (11.7 ft); Width: 294 cm (115.7 in)
Louvre Museum
A single anonymous soldier descending a slope with his nervous horse. In this 1814 Salon entry, Géricault decided to turn away from scenes of heroism in favor of a subject that is on the losing side of the battle. On display in the aftermath of France's disastrous military campaign in Russia, this life-size painting captured the feeling of a nation in defeat. There are no visible wounds on the figure, and the title has sometimes been interpreted to refer to soldier's injured pride. More on this painting
Géricault's first major work, The Charging Chasseur (See above), exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1812, revealed the influence of the style of Rubens and an interest in the depiction of contemporary subject matter. This youthful success, ambitious and monumental, was followed by a change in direction: for the next several years Géricault produced a series of small studies of horses and cavalrymen.
Géricault, Théodore also known as Géricault, (Rouen, 1791 - Paris, 1824)
Race of mounted horses going to the left, at the time of departure
Height: 0.27 m; Width: 0.375 m
Materials and techniquesoil on paper pasted on canvas
According to Clément, the jockeys were completed by Hippolyte Bellangé after the death of Géricault who had indicated them by a smear.
He exhibited Wounded Cuirassier (See above) at the Salon in 1814, a work more labored and less well received. Géricault in a fit of disappointment entered the army and served for a time in the garrison of Versailles. In the nearly two years that followed the 1814 Salon, he also underwent a self-imposed study of figure construction and composition, all the while evidencing a personal predilection for drama and expressive force.
French School, 19th Century, After Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
The coal cart
Oil on canvas
38 x 61.5 cm
Private collection
During his stays in London in 1820 and 1821, Géricault’s fascination for horses and the lower classes of a newly industrialized world led him to study coalmen and other workmen, which seemed ubiquitous in the city, often accompanying wagons drawn by horses. In a large number of works in graphite or watercolor, he immortalized their plight in compositions that often lend a monumental, dramatic quality to their hard work. More on the coal cart
He exhibited Wounded Cuirassier (See above) at the Salon in 1814, a work more labored and less well received. Géricault in a fit of disappointment entered the army and served for a time in the garrison of Versailles. In the nearly two years that followed the 1814 Salon, he also underwent a self-imposed study of figure construction and composition, all the while evidencing a personal predilection for drama and expressive force.
Théodore Géricault
La Fiancée d'abydos, c. 1850
Oil on paper laid down on canvas
Private collection
This present painting illustrates the final moments of Byron's tragic Bride of Abidos. Zuleika is the heroine and headstrong daughter of the elderly Pasha Giaffir, who wishes her to marry an aging Bey. Desperate to escape this fate, Zuleika flees with Selim, the man she loves, to a cave by the sea. Géricault leaves the cave mysterious and shrouded in darkness, aside from the menacing swords and pistols Selim has hidden there, here shown at upper right. In the cave, the hero tells his bride his awful secret: that he is the leader of a band of pirates, who are within hailing distance offshore. As Giaffir's armed men approach in pursuit of the young lovers, Selim fires his pistol to summon his swarthy comrades. Tragically, he is shot dead by Giaffir before the star-crossed lovers can be saved, and Zuleika dies of grief. More on this painting
Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
The Kiss, c. ca. 1816 - 1817
Charcoal, wash and gouache on brown paper
20 x 27.4 cm
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
In the present scene the artist depicts a couple on a bed with large pillows and draperies that fall in swathes onto the floor. The seated man kisses and embraces a woman seen from the side, her body almost parallel to the picture plane. The artist used charcoal to define the outlines of the figures, emphasising areas such as the man’s neck, hand and leg nearest to the viewer and the woman’s waist. Pronounced white highlights are used to intensify the areas of light falling on the man’s torso, knee and leg and the woman’s breast. A lead-point study for this drawing is in the Musée Bonnat in Bayonne while there is a related oil in a private Swiss collection. Germain Bazin dated The Kiss to the same period as Couple embracing in the Musée du Louvre. In the present work Géricault also depicts the theme of the couple but places most emphasis on the man, who is depicted with a highly developed musculature and an almost Herculean pose. Nonetheless, he also conveys a lyrical note, conveying a sense of tender, human emotion not to be found in other similar images. More on this painting
Théodore Géricault (French, 1791 - 1824) (1791 - 1824)
Three Lovers, c. 1817 - 1820
Oil on canvas
Height: 225.00 mm; Width: 298.00 mm
Getty Center
Théodore Géricault's only known erotic painting, this small oil sketch depicts two lovers locked in a passionate embrace while their languid companion calmly watches from the left. The woman's nudity and relaxed pose evoke the classical tradition of representing repose after lovemaking, a tradition that is also evoked by the way her voluptuous figure complements the statue of Venus above. Encoiled in her lover's arms and with her legs provocatively exposed, the woman in white is an active participant in the amorous act rather than a passive object. With a modern directness, Géricault captured the intensity and energy of human sexuality in a manner very different from the idealizing conventions of his age.
Géricault 's expressive handling of line and paint accords with the passionate energy of the subject matter. Despite the small size and sketchy nature of this painting, Géricault made it as an independent work of art, intended for close private viewing. More on this painting
A trip to Florence, Rome, and Naples (1816–17), prompted in part by the desire to flee from a romantic entanglement with his aunt, ignited a fascination with Michelangelo. Rome itself inspired the preparation of a monumental canvas, the Race of the Barberi Horses, a work of epic composition and abstracted theme that promised to be "entirely without parallel in its time". However, Géricault never completed the painting and returned to France.
After his return to France in 1821, Géricault was inspired to paint a series of ten portraits of the insane, the patients of a friend, Dr. Étienne-Jean Georget, a pioneer in psychiatric medicine, with each subject exhibiting a different affliction. There are five remaining portraits from the series, including Insane Woman.
Géricault, Théodore also known as Géricault, (Rouen, 1791 - Paris, 1824)
Horse Attacked by a Lion
Oil on canvas
0.54 m: Height; Width: 0.65 m
Louvre Museum
White horse defending itself against the lion that sits on its back.
Géricault, Théodore also known as Géricault, (Rouen, 1791 - Paris, 1824)
Horse stopped by slaves
Oil on canvas
480 x 600
Rouen, Museum of Fine Arts
Théodore Géricault (1791–1824)
The Race of the Riderless Horses, c. 1817
Oil and pen and ink on paper laid on canvas
J. Paul Getty Museum
As a boy, Théodore Géricault loved drawing horses and would sit in the stables watching and sketching. In 1817, he traveled to Rome where he witnessed the annual Carnival horse race and subsequently made numerous studies of this spectacle. This study marks the moment just before the race begins, when the terrified riderless horses begin their run down the Corso in Rome.
A groom tries to contain a rearing horse in the center, while other men all around push and pull the wild animals, goading them into a frenzied stampede. Géricault used virtually monochromatic colors applied in thick swirls to animate and suggest extreme physical strength. The dramatic use of light and shadow adds energy to the relief-like scene. Géricault mythologized the event: the muscular nude in the center recalls athletes of ancient Greece, and the thrusting horses bring to mind the Parthenon frieze designed by Phidias. Géricault intended to use this study for a grand painting to submit to the Salon, but he had to abandon that plan when he was called back to France on short notice. More on this painting
The paintings are noteworthy for their bravura style, expressive realism, and for their documenting of the psychological discomfort of individuals, made all the more poignant by the history of insanity in Géricault's family, as well as the artist's own fragile mental health. His observations of the human subject were not confined to the living, for some remarkable still-lifes—painted studies of severed heads and limbs—have also been ascribed to the artist.
Jean Louis André Théodore Géricault
The Resurrection of Lazarus
Oil on canvas
32,2 x 40,7 cm
Private collection
The Raising of Lazarus or the Resurrection of Lazarus, mentioned only in the Gospel of John, is a miracle of Jesus in which Jesus brings Lazarus of Bethany back to life four days after his burial. According to American theologian J P Dabney, "the usual reason assigned for the omission of so remarkable a story, as that of the resurrection of Lazarus by the other three Evangelists, is that he might still be living, when they wrote, and that a circumstantial account of this event, would have exposed him to the resentment of the unbelieving Jews, but John's Gospel was later by many years: in which long interval Lazarus' death was not unlikely to have occurred" More on the Resurrection of Lazarus
Géricault's last efforts were directed toward preliminary studies for several epic compositions, including the Opening of the Doors of the Spanish Inquisition and the African Slave Trade. The preparatory drawings suggest works of great ambition, but Géricault's waning health intervened. Weakened by riding accidents and chronic tubercular infection, Géricault died in Paris in 1824 after a long period of suffering. His bronze figure reclines, brush in hand, on his tomb at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, above a low-relief panel of The Raft of the Medusa. More on Théodore Géricault
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