The Raft of the Medusa is often considered one of the seminal works of the Romanticism artistic period. The painting depicts the survivors of the ship Medusa, a French frigate that due to the inexperience and incompetence of its captain (whom was appointed to the position as a political favor by the king of France) ran aground off the coast of Africa.
The ship did not have enough life rafts for the entire crew, so the officers and nobles and aristocrats would board the only life rafts to save themselves. The remaining 147 commoner crew would have to build a large
raft out of spare wood (that picture is a drawing made by the carpenter of the Medusa who constructed the raft and actually survived the ordeal). The plan had been to have the lifeboats tow the raft behind them, but in an act of cowardice the captain ordered the line towing the raft cut almost immediately after getting underway, setting the men adrift.
Of the 147 men who boarded the raft only 15 would be rescued, and many of them would die shortly after their rescue. The hopeless and starving men of the Raft of the Medusa would endure starvation and dehydration for 13 days before rescue, many even resorting to cannibalisms.
The event shocked France and the world, and highlighted the growing disconnect between the French Nobility and the common people. Including Theodore Gericault an artist who decided that this was the subject to make his masterpiece, a Historical Paining to document the event.
Gericault would spend 2 full years researching and painting his masterpiece. Interviewing survivors, reading testimonies and articles, and even taking human remains from the Paris morgue to his studio to watch them decompose and paint studies to better capture the effect of rotting flesh.
When the painting was first finally unveiled in London it shocked onlookers, firstly the painting is of the historical genre, meaning that the canvas is immense (16 ft 1in x 23ft 6in) the genre of historical paintings on large canvases is normally reserved for the most important of historical events; for example, other works of this genre include
Assassination of Julius Ceasar, Crossing the Delaware, and
the Death of Socrates. All works showing great historical events, not like Gericault's tragedy about class struggle and terrible human suffering.
But the main reason the painting was shunned by the European nobility at the time, happens to be the same reason I bring up the history of this painting and how it ties into the themes of the Falcon and the Winter Solider. Gericault's decision to feature a black man at the apex of the painting and in the most heroic position was something that Europe was not ready for in one of their great paintings, Gericault showed the remaining men working together with a sense of hope when a ship is spotted in the distance, and a strong black man as their leader waving a flag to help the men be seen. While also holding a white mans hand in friendship and comradery. The painting would not be sold or displayed because of this during Gericault's lifetime, and he would die penniless at the age of 32 unrecognized as a Master.
Today however the Raft of the Medusa is recognized as a masterpiece and is displayed proudly at the Louvre. And Gericault is considered one of the greatest artists in history.
So how does this tie into TFATWS? Well in 1818 the world shunned away a Black hero. They couldn't stand the idea of a strong Black man being a hero in this way, as well as the holding of the White mans hand in comradery. But today in the modern day, this same painting is considered a masterpiece and the Black man as a hero is something that is celebrated. Maybe the Marvel world wasn't ready for Isiah to be Captain America, but I think in the modern day they will be ready for Sam Wilson to be Cap and he will be celebrated as a hero.
TLDR: Painting has important meaning in class and race struggle, and shows heroic black man and white man working together. Was disregarded when it was first shown in 1819 but today is considered a masterpiece. Isiah is like how the painting was disregarded in the past, and Sam Wilson shows how it is celebrated today.
Edit: Wow! This took off! Some more insight into the painting and another way it ties into the themes of the show and especially the flag smashers; The King that appointed the Captain of the Medusa was the first king of the reinstated monarchy following Napoleon Bonaparte's Empire 1789-1814. Just like the common people of France, the Flag Smashers lived for years without the "Monarch" or old systems of governmental power during the blip. But just as the monarchy returned to control the peoples lives, so did the worlds governments in the form of the GRC. Just as the Men of the Medusa are failed by the monarchy again by their new Captain. So are the Flag Smashers failed by their new "Captain" America and the GRC...
