Roméo Mivekannin Reinterprets The Raft of the Medusa

On July 2, 1816, the French frigate La Méduse grounded on the sands of the Arguin Bank off the coast of Mauritania, setting off a disaster that claimed hundreds of lives and inspired one of the most recognizable masterworks of nineteenth-century romantic painting. According to historical records, the 46-meter vessel was carrying 356 men, along with colonial administrators, soldiers, and scientists, as part of a four-ship flotilla dispatched by King Louis XVIII to reoccupy French counters in Senegal following the Napoleonic wars.

The Wreck of La Méduse and the Abandonment of the Raft

The frigate was commanded by Hugues Duroy de Chaumareys, a royalist noble who had not sailed in more than twenty years. Sailing faster than the rest of the flotilla, the vessel raced ahead under the guidance of passenger Richefort, who claimed knowledge of the African coast, before striking the well-known shoals thirty miles from the shore, according to source accounts. After multiple failed attempts to refloat the ship, the crew constructed a 20-meter-long, 7-meter-wide makeshift raft out of spars and ropes on July 5 as water filled the hull.

According to historical accounts, 233 passengers boarded four boats and two chaloupes, while 149 sailors and soldiers were forced onto the unstable raft, which was initially tethered to the boats by towlines. The heavily overloaded raft slowed the progression of the small boats until the towlines were either broken or deliberately cast off by the officers, leaving the raft adrift with only 25 pounds of biscuit, two small casks of water, and six casks of wine, as documented by source materials.

Survival, Cannibalism, and Rescue by the Argus

The drift lasted until July 17, 1816, marked by panic, violence, and the loss of the water casks overboard. According to historians and survivor accounts, the strongest or best-armed passengers seized control amid alcoholic delirium and deadly fights, leading to acts of cannibalism. When the brig Argus finally spotted the raft on July 17, only 15 survivors remained alive. Source material notes that the Argus was not dispatched on a rescue mission, but rather sent back to the wreck of La Méduse by commander de Chaumareys to recover 92,000 francs in gold and silver coins left in the hold.

Following the tragedy, survivors Henri Savigny (second surgeon) and Alexandre Corréard (engineer-geographer) published a book detailing the event, which triggered public outrage in France and led to a court-martial that sentenced de Chaumareys to three years in prison in early 1817.

Théodore Géricault’s Monumental Painting and Political Subtext

At age 26, artist Théodore Géricault discovered the accounts in newspapers and the survivors’ book, seeking an ambitious subject to establish his reputation. To ensure realism, Géricault constructed a full-scale replica of the raft in his studio with the help of survivor Carpenter Lavillette and sketched corpses at the Beaujon hospital morgue, according to art historical research. He spent more than a year and a half painting the 5-meter-high and 7-meter-wide canvas, organizing the composition around three pyramid structures featuring dead, dying, and desperate men dominated by a Black figure waving a cloth toward the distant Argus.

Art historian Stéphane Guégan notes, citing Jacques de Caso, that the inclusion of Black figures—specifically a model named Joseph who posed for the three figures—was a deliberate choice by Géricault to criticize an incompetent monarchist captain while supplying a decisive symbol for the abolitionist movement. Exhibited at the Paris Salon on August 25, 1819, under the prudent title Scène de naufrage (Shipwreck Scene) to avoid directly attacking the restored monarchy, the painting won the gold medal despite generating public revulsion and fascination.

Contemporary Reinterpretations by Roméo Mivekannin

More than two centuries later, the cultural footprint of Le Radeau de la Méduse extends across popular media, inspiring works by Hergé, Goscinny and Uderzo, Georges Brassens, The Pogues, and filmmaker Iradj Azimi. Choosing to reinterpret the masterpiece, Beninese artist Roméo Mivekannin created his own version of the raft following the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, utilizing acrylic paint on traditional dowry cloths treated with plant decoctions known as “atingo” in Benin, according to exhibition details.

Unlike Géricault’s composition, Mivekannin’s version features a Black figure—depicting the artist’s own face—who turns to look directly at the viewer rather than facing away. Mivekannin explains that the work honors those lost in the sea across past and present times, bridging historical transatlantic slave routes with contemporary migrant crossings of the Mediterranean, as inspired by Erri de Luca’s poetry collection Aller simple.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the wreck of La Méduse occur?

According to historical records, the frigate La Méduse grounded on the Arguin Bank off the coast of Mauritania on July 2, 1816.

How many people survived on the raft?

Out of the 149 people originally forced onto the makeshift raft, only 15 survivors remained when the brig Argus located them on July 17, 1816, and five of those fifteen died on the journey back.

Why did Théodore Géricault include Black figures prominently in his painting?

According to art historians, Géricault introduced Black figures—modeled by a performer named Joseph—late in his creative process to provide a potent symbol for the abolitionist cause and to critique the slave trade alongside the incompetence of the ship’s commander.

Where is the original painting of The Raft of the Medusa housed today?

The original monumental canvas by Théodore Géricault is housed and displayed at the Musée du Louvre in Paris.