Théodore Géricault: A Titan of Romanticism Théodore Géricault (1821 – 1874) stands as a pivotal figure in the transition from Neoclassicism to Romanticism, an artist whose turbulent life and intensely dramatic works profoundly shaped the course of French painting. Born into a family with Huguenot roots—a history of religious dissent that imbued him with a spirit of independence and social awareness—Géricault’s career was marked by both critical acclaim and persistent struggle. He wasn't simply a painter; he was an investigator, a chronicler of human suffering, and a revolutionary in his appr…