Question 8 of 10 • NC-Visual Arts

Answer:
The painting is *The Raft of the Medusa* by Théodore Géricault. Géricault uses a pyramid-shaped arrangement of figures to guide the viewer’s eye from the dead and dying people in the foreground to the man signaling for help at the top. The wide ocean and open sky create a strong sense of distance and isolation, while the crowded raft fills the lower portion of the painting with emotion and tension. The contrast between the dark clouds and the brighter horizon emphasizes the survivors’ hope of rescue.