1588 The Art of Thinking he isin chains” and everywhere “Man isborn free; Jean-Jacques Truth Debate Rousseau Paradox Eur Respir J2014;43:1588–1589 |DOI:10.1183/09031936.00430614

Géricault Courbet Romanticism (Realism) Romanticism DOI: 10.1183/09031936.00430614 |Copyright©ERS 2014

Romanticism (Realism) Géricault decidedto represent moment thevery “the when ruin of the raft and assuch fascinated and upset public, the divided critics and generated much debate. survivors left survivors disasterthe of shipwreck the to nightmare the of animal brutality and cannibalism on raft the from thelifeboats for reserved thewealthy to souls thepoor left was aboard the Medusa whole truth”; thereby inviting usto debate defi all create an impression that “one truth” to address used isbeing “other truths” and perhaps even“the himforwards. Th thrusts on left the Medicine, Alfred Hospital,Melbourne,Victoria,3004,Australia. E-mail:[email protected] Dept ofMedicine,Central Clinical School,MonashUniversity; DeptofAllergy, Immunology andRespiratory Tom Kotsimbos fi is oriented from desperation towards hope in arightward ascent culminating inafl and possibility the of fl rescue Th society saw itself.society Historically, post-Napoleonic France was“ the shipwreck with aestheticthat avisceral dramatically widenedthelens of through truth which Géricault’scorpses. violent visualportrayal wasatriumph of feeling that thedebate infused regarding beauty but by dark turbulence and reality cruel the of ever-present the scramble for life over piled-up fi widespread coverage. news Here, Neoclassicism the frigate every-day reality In aesthetic. every-day ashisnew searched and prepared for “shock” hisideal broke realism subject, Courbet by rules simply the adopting Whereas Géricault’s passionate temperament and disregard for convention meant that heextensively attention” and is“paradox truth out transcended”. crying to be andtruth more grounded understanding. Hence, paradox is“truth standing on its to head attract simultaneous existence of two contradictory states therefore creates paradox that can to lead higher painter; however, entrep asuccessful he was also with clients, colleagues and the citizenry. Like Géricault, wasagift Courbet ed and infl role ascontemporary historian, commentator and critic are now consolidated relationship with hisnew truths and therefore aslave to none. menlived,both breathed and painted own their form of realism –interested paradox inthe of many a political activist during of signifi aperiod surrounded by people fromsurrounded alllevels (left of society works on alandscape facing while away from anude (traditional model symbol); academicart Musée d’Orsay, Paris The Painter’s Studio: 1855; Gustave Courbet: Louvre, Paris 1819; Medusa: the of Raft The Theodore Géricault: gure (nature lled realism of Romanticism. Classicalpyramidal composition isnolonger accompanied by an ideal e Raft Méduse of the Medusa the of draws viewerinwhereas the orientation the of raft the to tell Th thetale). versus , June 17,1816)that paradoxically of truth the realise helped actualevent the despite nurture, natural law and debates). slavery Th isan painting iconic, history-style of contemporary athen shipwreck (French ”: from incompetent the captain to corrupt the system that hadappointed him; eelongation of thepainting through spaceand timeand its contextual span eetingly presents itself on horizon the (the epainting stands asasynthetic of view human life abandoned to its fate Th ePainter’s Studio cant and social political turbulence and unrest. In theend, nitions of interms truth of absolutes and relativities. Th reneur inthe fully immersed ) and (right). Th friends/associates of Enlightenment the gives way to passion the adrift , the world, the “turns around” ashe Courbet behind to behind fend for themselves; from e dramatic foreshortening of raft the

” at timeand the “the whole of society ’s apex upwards and to right the Argus may besaid to becomplete business and of hissociety ). Th ewhole composition ag-waving black ag-waving epainter’s new uential realist uential (with few

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