Géricault, Théodore

Géricault, (Jean-Louis-André-) Théodore

(born Sept. 26, 1791, Rouen, Fr.—died Jan. 26, 1824, Paris) French painter. Under Pierre Guérin (1774–1833) he developed great skill in figure construction and composition, and under Joseph Vernet he became adept at capturing animal movement. He was inspired by Peter Paul Rubens's use of colour and the contemporary subject matter of Antoine-Jean Gros. On a trip to Italy (1816–17), he became an admirer of Michelangelo and art of the Baroque period. On his return to Paris, the macabre subject matter and political overtones of his huge Raft of the Medusa (1818–19) aroused great controversy. In 1820–21 he went to England and produced a large body of lithographs, watercolours, and oils of jockeys and horses. An avid horseman, he died after a riding accident. His work had enormous influence, most notably on Eugène Delacroix, and on the development of Romanticism in France.