A NEW rendition of Géricault’s Raft of the Medusa, painted 200 years ago, is to go on display at Messums Wiltshire in Tisbury.

It is the same size as the 24-foot-long original that hangs in the Louvre in Paris and has been crafted in monochrome by John Beard.

After the Raft of the Medusa is painted in black and white oils and wax and is accompanied by a mirrored image etched onto a black aluminium sheet to suggest the dark and inky depths of the sea.

John says his intention is to “dissolve” the horrifying, almost uninhabitable Romantic grandeur of the original masterpiece to comprehend its powerful beauty better.

“To make quieter its loudness,” he said.

“To calm and still the image. To demand more attention from the viewer. To depreciate the romanticism. To draw the viewer into and through the surface.”

The original painting is 16 feet by 24 feet.

John Beard: After the Raft of the Medusa is at Messums Wiltshire from May 15 to July 11.

Visit: messumswiltshire.com

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