The Raft of the Medusa is a painting by Theodore Gericault and hangs in the Louvre, Paris. It depicts the true story of a shipwreck and of a hastily constructed raft upon which at least 157 people were cast adrift for 13 days and endured starvation, dehydration, cannibalism and madness. The work is a diabolical duel between trumpet and trombone, a violent tone poem showing off the techniques of the soloists. There is no light in this piece, no triumph, only sadness.
