Visual Analysis of Theodore Gericault's "The Raft of the Medusa"
Format: Times New Roman or Arial, 12pt, double-spaced. Length: 500 (minimum) to 750 words (maximum).
Purpose:
- To develop the skill of “visual analysis,” a common tool used in the study of visual culture.
- To become acquainted with the elements of art and principles of design.
- To become accustomed to writing about visual culture.
Instructions:
Select ONE (1) image from either your textbook or from the lectures from Modules 1-3 and then answer the question below using full sentences and paragraphs:
What mood or message is being portrayed in this artwork, and how does the artist use the "elements of art" and "principles of design" to support it?
Your answer to this question will form your argument or “thesis statement.” Even though this is not a formal essay, you should clearly state your argument in your introduction and support this claim throughout the body of your paper. To be clear, this means that you will select the elements and principles that make the strongest case for the mood or message that you identify in the selected object — you do not have to discuss every element and/ or principle.
You are to do the visual analysis using only your powers of close observation. No research is to be included, and you need
not discuss aspects of the work’s historical context or its subject matter.
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Visual Analysis of Theodore Gericault's "The Raft of the Medusa"
Introduction
The gigantic painting "The Raft of the Medusa," finished in 1819 by Theodore Gericault, depicts a terrifying historical event. It represents the aftermath of the French navy ship Medusa's wreckage off the coast of Senegal in 1816. The captain of the ship, exhibiting inexperience and neglect, reserved lifeboats for himself and a select few, leaving 152 people trapped on a homemade raft (Harris 602). Only fifteen survivors were recovered after thirteen days at sea, some resorting to cannibalism to keep alive. The artwork by Gericault tries to show this tragedy and protest the monarchy's disdain for human life. The choice of the survivors' emotions, caught between optimism and terror, provides dimension to the story.
Description
"The Raft of the Medusa" is a massive oil on canvas artwork that measures 16 feet by 23 feet and is on exhibit at Paris's Musée du Louvre. The composition shows a chaotic situation on the raft, with desperate people fighting for survival among raging seas and foreboding sky (Harris 603). From the lower left, a diagonal axis leads to the figure of Jean Charles, a resilient black man from French Senegal who becomes a symbol of hope and fortitude in the face of terrible peril.
Analysis on the mood and message portrayed in this artwork; and the use of elements of art and principles of design
Gericault's masterful use of art components and design ideas effectively expresses despair, terror, and hope moods. The pyramid arrangement of bodies, with Jean Charles at the peak, generates suspense and highlights the survivors' inner suffering (Mateigueira 15). The diagonal composition heightens the drama by drawing the viewer's attention away from the distraught humans and toward the towering wave, representing the perpetual fear of death.
The use of color and lighting in Gericault's "The Raft of the Medusa" is critical in portraying the emotional...