Théodore Géricault

Théodore Géricault (1791–1824) was a French painter and one of the leading figures of the Romantic movement. He is best known for his dramatic and emotionally powerful works, which often explored themes of human suffering, heroism, and social injustice. His masterpiece, The Raft of the Medusa (1818–1819), brought him international recognition and became an iconic work of French Romanticism. Despite his short life, Géricault had a profound influence on 19th-century art and paved the way for later Romantic artists such as Eugène Delacroix.