Head of a Shipwrecked Man (study for the Raft of Medusa) 1819

Théodore Géricault's "Head of a Shipwrecked Man" is a study for his famous painting "The Raft of the Medusa." Completed in 1819, this oil painting depicts a close-up of a man's face, likely one of the survivors of the infamous 1816 shipwreck. Géricault is known for his dramatic portrayals of human emotion, and this study captures the despair and exhaustion of the subject in striking detail. The painting, currently on display at the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'archéologie de Besançon, serves as a poignant reminder of the tragedy of the event.