Théodore Géricault Research Paper

Théodore Géricault was a French artist who was a part of the Enlightenment period or Rococo period, but more specifically and correctly, he was a part of the Romanticist period. Géricault is, also, an important figure of the Romanticism period. His dramatic themes, realistic portraits and haunting portrayals of serious topics helped to pave the way for the themes of rebellion, individuality, and truth that came with this artistic period. Also without him, elements from a pre-existing period, the Enlightenment or Rococo period may not have also come into play with his style and aims. Géricault seeked to emphasize the haunting reality through his artwork, encroaching on rather taboo topics. Théodore Géricault was born Jean-Louis André Théodore
Géricault on September 6, 1791 in Rouen, Normandy, France. From a young age, he knew that he wanted to pursue art as a career. Théodore's father was a lawyer who, however, did not approve of his young son's wish to become a painter. (Théodore Gericault, Painter, nytimes.com) In 1796, young Géricault attended the Lycée Imperial, or Lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. Eight years later in 1808, Théodore left the school and entered into guidance from the painter Carle Vernet, who was well-known for his studies and paintings of horses. Géricault's time spent learning under Vernet was approximately two years, and it was more "casual guidance" than a serious apprenticeship. After Vernet, he entered into an apprenticeship with painter Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, whose teachings and guidance were considered more disciplined than the former teacher. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) Guérin, in actuality, saw the young Géricault as someone with great potential, but, with the latter's undisciplined personality and free spirit, the teacher's opinion often wavered. Soon enough, Géricault left Guérin's teachings behind and self-studied at the Louvre museum or the Musée Napoleon as it was known at the time (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) His teachings for himself consisted of copying paintings that hung in the Louvre; these included works of Michelangelo, Rubens, Anthony van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Titian. This period of studying at the Louvre lasted from 1810 to 1812; (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) his first successful painting came around the end of this time, with the exhibition of The Charging Chasseur in 1812, and his work received a lot of attention. However, two years later, he exhibited his second major work The Wounded Cuirassier, and it was much less received. By 1815, his budding career was interrupted when the Hundred Days War broke out. Théodore Géricault enlisted in the army, but spent most of the time in hiding instead of on the battlefield. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) After his brief military service, the artist, now twenty-five years old, left for the country of Italy, where he resumed his self studies. He studied Michelangelo, much like he did in France at the Musée Napoleon, as well as Raphael. While still residing in Italy, the first copy of his Derby at Epsom was painted. ("Theodore Gericault," visual-arts-cork.com) By 1817, Géricault made his return to Paris; this would be where he would paint his most famous work The Raft of the Medusa. At the time when it was released in 1818, The Raft of the Medusa was considered controversial, and the painting received mixed reviews. After the exhaustion due to the surprising reception on his most tiring piece, Géricault had the painting exhibited in London in 1820, and rested in England from a part of 1820 and all of 1821. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) By 1822, Théodore had painted The Woman with Gambling Mania, one portrait in a series of ten; the time of the series' painting had begun right around the time he was about to leave for, or was already in, London, back in 1820, and ten were completed by 1824. Also, in this series included Insane Woman, Portrait of a Kleptomaniac, Man Suffering from Delusions of Military Rank, and A Kidnapper. However, by 1824, Géricault was already suffering from a number of health complications, such as injuries from a horseback riding incident and a tubercular infection. On the day of January 26th in the year 1824, Théodore Géricault died at the age of 33 in Paris, France after a lengthy period of suffering, and was buried in the Paris cemetery Père Lachaise. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) Géricault's inspirations and influences for most of his life came primarily from artists he worked with, artists he studied from at the Musée Napoleon, and movements at the time. Primary artists he worked from were Michelangelo, whose works were present in France and in Italy, and Raphael, whom he discovered on his journey to Italy. He was also inspired by a fellow French painter known as Antoine-Jean Gros, whom Géricault himself favored, and even the former's works and styles specifically influenced and helped mold his own style. (Artble, artble.com) Other artists, as mentioned before, present in the Louvre such as Rubens, van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Titian (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) were influential on the young man, but were not as pronounced as the former three artists mentioned were. Overall, Théodore was mainly inspired by professional renowned artists primarily from the Renaissance era, and much less the Baroque era. Théodore Géricault, as mentioned above, was an artist who worked in the Enlightenment period, and more specifically, was a Romanticist artist.
The Enlightenment period does not exactly refer to a specific art period, but more so to the "Age of Enlightenment." The "Age of Enlightment" was a philosophical movement that dominated the European continent in the 18th century that attempted to bring reason, tolerance, and progress to the mind. In addition, another period of art related to the Enlightenment period that is close in proximity to the Romanticist period is the Rococo period. Rococo is defined as a style of art that is highly ornate and decorative, and was dominate in the same period as Enlightenment period, 1715 to 1774 primarily, or the 18th century. (Little
62-63) Now with Romanticism specifically, Géricault's position in the period is quite important. Many describe him to be the first artist to hone the Romanticist art style. His dramatic themes, realistic portraits, and haunting portrayals of topics such as poverty, war, mental illness, and crime helped to pave the way for what would eventually be the final form of the Romanticist style. His proud, flamboyant, and free-spirited personality also helped him in developing his own style of art and contributing to this style's own elements and portrayals. Géricault also honed in the Neoclassical art style , evident by the early works of his. However, the Neoclassical genre was in a decline when Géricault was budding. (Romanticism, visual-arts-cork.com) Géricault only ever worked with two mediums: one primary one and one that he only dabbled in.
His primary one was paint. He often used oil paints, and these are usually what his most recognized works were done in. Théodore also used watercolor in the later years of his life and career, and he first took up watercolor painting during his rest time in London. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) The medium that Théodore Géricault only dabbled in was lithography. Lithography is an old process where one would print from a flat surface that would be pre-treated to repel the ink in places except where it was supposed to spread. (Lithography, merriam-webster.com) Géricault only began, once again, in London, with amateur lithography, but he never truly got to take it up as another prominent medium. (Theodore Gericault,
visual-arts-cork.com) The artist worked in a time period primarily filled with conflict, as he, in a way, experienced the Hundred Days War himself, and also experienced the reign of Napoleon from 1804-1814, where he was still conducting his teachings and self-studies. Much of his early work, as exhibited by his first two major works The Charging Chasseur and The Wounded Cuirassier, were inspired by the figure of Napoleon himself and also the military life. His inspiration from these paintings also inspired him to join the military himself. However, his experience with the actual happenings of battle must of exhausted him and caused him to change his themes that he focused on. (National Gallery of Art, nga.gov) The Enlightenment period and Romanticist period being a part of Géricault's life could also play a part on his paintings of the mentally insane. As Romanticism is described as a movement that focused on emotion, the individual, and the truth. (Little 72-73) the Enlightenment focused on bringing reason to the mind. So Géricault living surrounded by this, must of wanted to emphasize this through realistic, truthful portraits. Even with topics such as war and insanity, Théodore wanted to hone these aspects to really bring out what was real and important. Overall, Théodore did take into the events that were happening around him, but more so it was the events that were directly close to him (direction wise) that he took into creating into masterpieces. The Raft of the Medusa's inspiration was off the area that is the coast of northwest Africa, but was a French naval frigate, and his themes of war came from England and France (Hundred Days War). Even though he worked in Italy, nothing was really happening there that he took off from, other than his inspirations and a few paintings on day-to-day events.