Théodore Géricault from Private Collections

Chronology

1791 Théodore Géricault is born on September 26 , in Rouen, to the lawyer Georges- Nicolas Géricault and his wife Louise-Jeanne-Marie. c. 1796 The Géricault family moves to Paris. 1806–08 Théodore Géricault attends the Lycée Impérial in Paris. 1808–10 Géricault’s mother dies in 1808 , and he inherits her fortune. With the support of his uncle, Jean-Baptiste Caruel, and against his father’s wishes, Géricault studies informally with Carle Vernet. There he is given the freedom to explore the studio and draw what he observes. Many of Géricault’s earliest studies of horses and military subjects date from this time. 1810–11 Géricault enters the studio of the Neoclassical history painter, Pierre-Narcisse Guérin, and through him would later meet Eugène Delacroix. 1811–12 At the Musée Napoléon (now the Louvre) Géricault studies independently, especially the work of Rubens, Titian, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. Napoléon invades Russia in June 1812 and in September Géricault starts work on The Charging Chasseur , transforming a simple genre scene (a bolting carriage horse was the key inspiration) into a colossal equestrian portrait. In December, this work receives a gold medal at the Salon. Géricault paints several studies of Napoléonic cavalrymen. His art goes through gradual changes: the forms become more compact and the hues darker. 1813 The Wounded Cuirassier is painted early autumn as a pendant to the Charging Chasseur . While the former painting was animated by Napoléonic passion for military conquest, the latter conjured up the French defeats of 1813 - 14 and received negative reviews at the Salon held November-December. The early traces of Géricault’s ‘antique’ manner can be found in his sketches in the Zoubaloff Sketchbook (Louvre), which also contains studies for the Cuirassier . In April, the Bourbon monarchy is restored after the abdication of Napoléon. In July, Géricault enlists in the Gray Musketeers, a royal cavalry that was meant to be more ceremonial than military. Napoléon returns from exile in March. Géricault’s troop of musketeers accompanies Louis XVIII safely to the Belgian border as he flees to Ghent. In June, Napoléon is defeated at Waterloo. 1815 1814