Head of a Youth c. 1821 - 1824

Théodore Géricault painted this study of a young man without a known date, rendered with oils. Géricault, working in France in the early 19th century, grappled with the shifting sands of social and political identity after the French Revolution. We see this youth in profile, his gaze directed slightly upward, bathed in a soft, raking light. His expression seems caught between hope and melancholy, perhaps reflecting the artist’s own turbulent era. It is interesting to consider how gender and class dynamics are embedded in this artwork. While the young man's features are idealized, typical of the period, Géricault avoids the opulent trappings of aristocratic portraiture. He offers us instead, a study of an individual, stripped bare, caught in a moment of introspection. It's as if Géricault seeks to humanize his subject, inviting us to look beyond social categories and contemplate the inner life of this youth. Géricault’s image gently probes our collective understanding of identity and representation, asking us to reflect on how we, too, are shaped by the currents of history.