THEÓDORE GÉRICAULT - Life, Works & Painting Style | Great Artists simply Explained in 3 minutes!

Jean-Louis André Théodore Géricault, or Théodore Géricault for short, was a French painter, draughtsman and lithographer. Although he died young, he is considered the founding father of French Romanticism. He often shocked with his large-format paintings of emaciated shipwrecked people, bloody depictions or the mentally ill.

He was born in Rouen, France, in 1791, the son of a lawyer. He secretly visited Horace Vernet's studio at an early age during an apprenticeship as an accountant. Géricault then asserted himself and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and became a member of Pierre-Narcisse Guérin's studio. There he also met Eugène Delacroix. When he was about twenty, he made his debut at the Paris Salon with a large-format and spectacular portrait of an unknown officer in a heroic pose.
Financially independent thanks to an inheritance, he was able to experiment freely and searched for a new artistic language. A stay in Italy and the art of Michelangelo and the paintings of antiquity influenced him. A stay in Italy and the art of Michelangelo and the paintings of antiquity influenced him. He became famous in 1819 with the painting "The Raft of the Medusa", which was exhibited at the Paris Salon. Weakened by riding accidents and chronic tuberculosis infections, he died in Paris after a long period of suffering at the age of just thirty-two and was buried in a Paris cemetery.

His painting style was characterized by an extraordinary drama and emotionality. He was a master of movement and lighting, and his works bear witness to a deep human feeling.

Géricault’s paintings often shocked with motifs such as emaciated shipwrecked people, bloody battles, boxing matches or the mentally ill.

The main motifs of his paintings are horses and riding scenes as well as portraits.

He also created revolutionary works in the graphic genres, not least in the then still young technique of lithography.

Three of his numerous masterpieces stand out in particular.

His most important work is "The Raft of the Medusa". It is based on a tragic shipwreck and shows his ability to vividly depict human suffering and the struggle for survival. The painting shows the transition to realism, as Gericault made numerous studies of the sick, injured and corpses in Parisian hospitals for the painting. When he exhibited the work in London, the scandalous painting attracted around 50,000 visitors.

Remarkable is his series of 10 portraits of the insane, 6 of which have survived. Each work depicts a different ailment and the people depicted were the patients of a friend who was also a pioneer in psychiatric medicine.

The work "The Epsom Horse Race" symbolizes his enthusiasm for horses. It captures the energy and movement of the horses and riders during the famous race, while conveying the excitement and tension of the moment.

In his short career, he created a large number of paintings, sketches and studies that are characterized by their artistic brilliance and emotional depth. His works are not only artistic masterpieces, but also windows into the soul of a bygone era.