A pioneer of the French Romantic movement, the painter, draughtsman and lithographer Théodore Géricault (1791 - 1824) remains among the most compelling and troubled figures in Western art. His varied oeuvre - which has consistently defied easy definition - continues to enthrall audiences, artists and critics alike.

Drawn to subjects of violence and horror, Géricault responded to the turbulent history of France as Napoleon's Empire ceded to a restored Monarchy - perhaps its most scandalous event was the plight of the shipwrecked victims depicted in his towering masterpiece The Raft of the Medusa . Géricault was committed to capturing contemporary life with imaginative verve, taking a deep interest in extreme states and the depths of the human mind, especially as revealed by the medical sciences. These concerns inspired his late, haunting portrayals of monomaniacs. Equally significant was Géricault's passion for the wild imagery of horses, which prompted some of the epoch's greatest equestrian portraits and history paintings.

This comprehensive monograph explores all of Géricault's best-known works, including examples from his remarkable sketchbooks, and sets his artistic originality in its dramatic social and cultural contexts.