Question 25 • RAIL OC Art I A 2027

Answer:
The painting is *The Raft of the Medusa* by Théodore Géricault. Géricault arranges the figures in a rising pyramid, leading the viewer’s eye from the bodies in the foreground to the person signaling at the top. The wide sea and sky create a sense of depth and make the crowded raft seem especially small and isolated. This contrast makes the scene feel more dramatic and desperate.