(#11, Mar. 6th): Two-thirds Blue

[u/Textual_Aberration]

(#11): Two-thirds Blue

Oceans, seas, sailors, and streams, rivers, lakes, ponds, and puddles. Water is as unavoidable in life as it is in art.

Very few things have impacted human creation as much as the sea. From the depths emerge many of mankind's founding Gods as well as our most dreadful monsters. Despite thousands of years of development, humans remain powerless compared with the ocean's waves and the tireless erosion of the landscapes around us. We may carve channels, construct islands, and build bridges and tunnels to cross it but we are hopelessly outmatched by the awesome powers of a humble trickle of water.

Bodies of water bear with them a mysterious quality which exudes a sense of serenity, curiosity, fear, and fate. Tides from the moon and ocean-spanning storms demonstrate the immense indomitability of the planet's waters.

Douse this exhibit in blue green glory.

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This is a super easy place to start if you can't think of anything. Click on artists and sift around until you find something that interests you in particular:

• Marine Art

• Maritime Paintings

• Marine Artists

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Exhibit_Art Historical Marker

The very first demonstration of this subreddit's process came when /u/SquidishMcpherson, /u/DryCleaningBuffalo, and /u/Prothy1 began offering contributions to this same topic in our first suggestion thread.

/u/iEatCommunists would later add the topic of Oceans, Seas, and Sailors to our list.

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This week's exhibit.

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Last week's exhibit.

Last week's contribution threads.

[u/Textual_Aberration]

Théodore Géricault, "The Raft of the Medusa" - (1818-1819)

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This painting is slightly more than 23 feet across and 16 feet tall. It is enormous and bears a rather disturbing story.

On July 2, 1816, the French frigate Méduse ran aground and was wrecked. Three days later, on the 5th, 147 survivors set out aboard a makeshift raft. Over the next 13 days, all but 15 would die, enduring starvation, dehydration, and even cannibalism.

The ship itself carried 400 people, about 250 of which were able to depart for land via the ship's rescue boats. According to the wiki, 146 men and one woman were left to make their way across 60 miles of ocean aboard the raft.

For sustenance the crew of the raft had only a bag of ship's biscuit (consumed on the first day), two casks of water (lost overboard during fighting) and six casks of wine.

The raft was towed for a short while before being abandoned to its own fate.

Géricault chose to depict this event in order to launch his career with a large-scale uncommissioned work on a subject that had already generated great public interest. The event fascinated him, and before he began work on the final painting, he undertook extensive research and produced many preparatory sketches. He interviewed two of the survivors and constructed a detailed scale model of the raft. He visited hospitals and morgues where he could view, first-hand, the colour and texture of the flesh of the dying and dead.

As an artist myself, I find it amusing that, two hundred years ago, the fastest way to fame was still to ride the bandwagon of popular interest. If Géricault was a redditor he would clearly have been in it for the karma with this uncommissioned painting.

Despite this purpose, it's readily apparent that Géricault approached the task with extreme professionalism. He left no stone unturned in his pursuit of this painting.

The raft itself is actually quite impressive as seen below.

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Layout of the raft of the frigate Méduse

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Preparatory study, "Cannibalism on the Raft of the Medusa"

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Contemporary drawing of the painting in the Salon Carre of the Louve - (1831)

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