The Raft of the Medusa depicts a group of poor people that are left afloat in the middle of the ocean trying to survive. Gericault’s focus in this painting seems to be all of the people reaching up to something or someone that might be there to come and save them; it is emphasized because the light is focused on them. In the background there are dark and ominous clouds almost there reminding the men of their impending death.This piece was created in response to an event that had happened a few years earlier. Sailors were stranded on an unstable raft and they even resorted to cannibalism, it was every man for himself. When the painting was revealed to the people of France, everyone knew was it was based on.
I think that The Raft of the Medusa ties in nicely with my theme, “Survival of the Fittest” because it has various aspects that have to deal with it. There are men striving to survive, starting to starve, and begin to eat their own men. Only the strongest and toughest of the group that are able to sustain the conditions of the ocean, and lack of food will come out alive.
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