The Raft of Medusa

"The Raft of Medusa" was painted by Géricault in 1818 at the age of 27. It was painted on a canvas with oil paint and is 16 feet by 23.5 feet. What I find interesting about this painting is the history behind it; most paintings tell a story but this one depicts a real moment in history. The ship was a French naval vessel, named Medusa, that got stuck on a sandbar. For three days they tried to free the ship but when it didn't move, the 400 people on board took the six small life boats and make shift rafts and set off on a 13 day journey home with little food and drink. Only 15 of the 400 people made it back and created a huge scandal in France. The painting now hangs in Paris, France at Musée du Louvre