An interest in the common man and childhood.
According to the information on the historical background handout, the
individuals on the raft consisted of people from the lower classes of
society. Géricault’s decision to use these “common” men as subjects of
the painting is typical of the Romantic creators. By depicting the
common man suffering due to the actions of the upper class of urban
society Géricault was able to elevate them to a level of martyrdom.