The Lebowski Cycle –The Raft of the Medusa (After Géricault)

The Raft of the Medusa (After Géricault) • Joe Forkan 2011, oil on linen, 84" x 144"

This is the largest painting from Lebowski Cycle. It is based on The Raft of the Medusa, painted by Théodore Géricault around 1819. His painting is a staggering 16 x 23 1/2 feet. Mine is merely 7 x 12 feet, but of course is further diminished in being compressed to a few inches on the computer screen. I have a lot to say about this one, and will also post more soon about the process of the last few paintings I uploaded, but I wanted to get this up on the site.

The Raft of the Medusa • Théodore Géricault 1818–1819 Oil on canvas 491 cm × 716 cm (193.3 in × 282.3 in) Musée du Louvre, Paris

I will be giving a Gallery Talk about the Lebowski Cycle at the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion on Thursday, September 29th, from 7-9.

More info on the lecture and the exhibition is available here:

Here are a few images from the opening to try to give a sense of the scale of this piece. It is a diptych, each canvas measuring 6 x 7 feet.

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