Raft Of The Medusa Analysis

During the late 18th century, when most of Europe was surrounded with Neoclassical and the Enlightenment ideals, France and Germany began to have a change in literary taste. The generation of wars and revolution, tension and depression had created doubts on the Age of Reason. This was the time where pessimism and doubts had challenged optimism and hope, which belonged to the 18th Century. The Enlightenment was a movement, which spread slowly and gradually made its influence throughout society beginning amongst a tiny elite. On the other hand, Romanticism was more common in its influence and origin and so, was quickly accepted by people. This was the period where people were deeply concerned on the matters of eternity, death and existence, and

This painting was a result from an event, which had taken place three years prior to the completion of the painting. In this event, a merchant vessel got trapped into a storm in the North coast of Africa. As soon as the ship began sinking, the captain ordered the carpenter onboard to build a raft as a result of the lack of life boats for all the people on the vessel. The captain promissed to tow the raft but when after a while it was not possible, he cut the rope and fled to save himself and his crew. As a result, only 15 survived from 150, who were rescued after ten days. The painting captures the moment of

M. W. Turner. He painted this marvelous art piece during the height of his career, about a warship belonging to the British Navy used in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. This painting portrays the ship’s last trip to London to be broken up. Turner was present during this event and it was then when he began making sketches. The symbolic interpretation of this painting is to show the rise of the industrial revolution or “The Sunrise of Britain’s Industrial Revolution.” Turner has used shades of gray, white, and brown making the ship appear ghost-like, which portrays that it has not been in use. He has painted this warship with its masts and other ornamentation to make it resemble, as it would have been during its prime days. A tiny black tugboat, strong enough to control the ship, tugs this warship and portrays the replacement of history and traditions by the industrial revolution and technology. In this painting, Turner reveals affection for the past and anticipation of the future. The ship is painted with careful detail, but towards the sun the paints appear to depict chaos. This form of the portrayal of the sun is his signature technique seen in most of his work. It stands out because of its naturalistic portrayal probably trying to state that the sea too has some terrible tales to narrate. Turner’s works were never signed. It appears