A Horse frightened by Lightning 1814

Théodore Géricault painted this image of a horse frightened by lightning with oil on canvas. This work reflects the Romantic movement in early 19th-century France, a period marked by dramatic emotion and a focus on nature's power, and the sublime. The image taps into a fascination with strong emotion that challenged the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason. Painted in a period of social change, one can think of the image of the horse as a reflection on society itself, and the painting’s focus on the animal's wild, untamed nature as a sign of anxieties about social order. The study of the archives of institutions of art, such as the Salon, the official art exhibitions of the French Academy des Beaux-Arts, would reveal what the artist was up against, and to what degree his work conformed or subverted the aesthetic order of the day. Ultimately, history teaches us that art is more than just aesthetics; it's a mirror reflecting the concerns and values of its time.