When did Géricault paint The Wounded Cuirassier?

Géricault painted this work in just three weeks for the Salon of 1814, as France faced military defeat and Napoleon's exile Théodore Géricault created it as part of the French artistic tradition.

Where is The Wounded Cuirassier displayed?

The life-size painting hangs at the Louvre in Paris, among the museum's collection of French Romantic painting.

Why was The Wounded Cuirassier controversial?

Critics expected heroic military scenes, not images of defeat. The painting's somber mood reflected France's national trauma but disappointed Salon audiences.

Where Is The Wounded Cuirassier? See It at Louvre, Paris

French artist Théodore Géricault painted this monumental image of defeat in just three weeks for the Salon of 1814. A cuirassier (armored cavalry soldier) descends a slope, using his sword as a crutch while his nervous horse strains behind him. No visible wound appears; the injury seems internal, perhaps to his pride or spirit.

Géricault exhibited this work as France faced military collapse: Paris had fallen, Napoleon was exiled, and national morale lay shattered. Critics disliked its somber mood, expecting military glory rather than defeat. Disappointed, Géricault joined the army briefly before leaving for Rome. The painting established Romanticism's emotional intensity and now hangs at the Louvre.