Documentary overview

About The Raft of the Medusa: The Story Behind Géricault's Masterpiece I SLICE HISTORY

The Raft of the Medusa is one of the most famous paintings in the history of art. But behind Géricault’s masterpiece lies a horrifying true story of shipwreck, survival and scandal. In 1816, 148 sailors and one woman were abandoned on a makeshift raft after the French frigate Medusa ran aground off the coast of Africa. Only seven survived. Through a double investigation — following both a contemporary historian and Géricault’s own painstaking research — this documentary reconstructs the tragedy that shocked France and inspired one of the most powerful paintings of the 19th century. The Raft of the Medusa was more than a work of art. It became a lasting testimony to one of the darkest disasters in France’s colonial and maritime history.

The Raft of the Medusa: The Story Behind Géricault's Masterpiece I SLICE HISTORY is presented by SLICE History. Its listed runtime is 89 minutes. The source link and publisher attribution are provided with the embedded film.

As a history documentary, The Raft of the Medusa: The Story Behind Géricault's Masterpiece I SLICE HISTORY uses medusa, behind, géricault as its central frame. Historical documentaries interpret surviving evidence rather than simply replaying the past. Watch how archives, archaeology, expert interpretation and first-hand records are used, and note where uncertainty or competing explanations remain.

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Film information

Documentary details and original source

Title
The Raft of the Medusa: The Story Behind Géricault's Masterpiece I SLICE HISTORY
Category
History
Runtime
89 minutes
Language
English
Publisher
SLICE History

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