Disparaged during his lifetime and mourned after his death, Géricault still haunts auction houses.
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), Boy Feeding Oats to an Unhitched Horse, Oil on canvas, 45,2 x 36,1 cm. Drouot, 15 June 2018. Beaussant Lefèvre
Result: €350,000
Géricault is a man of opposites: elusive yet famous, an admirer of Ingres and Raphael and leader of the Romantic school. The myth of the poorly understood artist was based on the painter whose masterpiece, The Raft of the Medusa, exhibited at the 1819 Salon, was rejected outright by critics. Many artists mourned him after his death, when his reputation rose. Delacroix lamented him. Balzac called him "a man of talent". But Géricault never witnessed his own success. Majestic lions, endearing portraits and spirited horses populate his prints and paintings. Here is a selection of works representative of their creator.
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), Four Horses in the Stable, around 1821-1823, oil on paper glued on canvas, 22 x 28 cm. Montbazon, 12 June 2016. Rouillac & cabinet Turquin.
Result: €47,120
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), Group of Lions, oil on panel, 48 x 58 cm. Drouot, 4 December 2019. Paris Enchères - Collin du Bocage
Result: €108,800
Théodore Géricault (1791-1824), The Death of Germanicus, vers 1811-1812, oil on canvas, 44,9 x 55 cm. Drouot, 1st December 2017. Drouot Estimations.
Result: €37,200