Théodore Géricault was a French painter born on September 26, 1791, in Rouen, France. He is best known for his dramatic and emotive works, particularly the painting The Raft of the Medusa, which depicts the aftermath of a shipwreck and highlights human suffering and resilience. Géricault was a key figure in the Romanticism movement, which emphasized emotion and individualism in art. Géricault's career was relatively short, as he died at the age of 32 on January 26, 1824. Despite his brief life, he influenced many artists, including Eugène Delacroix, and contributed significantly to the development of modern art. His focus on realism and psychological depth set the stage for future artistic movements.