爲咗接手呢個港,法國政府準備咗支船隊去呢個港,派任新嘅塞內加爾總督以及隨行官員、軍隊。船隊領導係Hugues Duroy De Chaumareys。雖然任命咗佢,查實佢唔多啱呢個位,當時佢53歲,身光頸靚,完全係個貴族,之但係佢有20幾年未掂過海[5][6],甚至未試過指揮一部船[4]。實際上佢之前係個海關文官。任命佢嘅理由好簡單,因爲佢係個絕對忠誠嘅保皇黨人。佢做過子爵(Vicomte),1795年時佢加入英軍去抵制法國大革命。1814年,路易十八重返王位,Chaumareys亦都從中出咗唔少力。因爲海軍係掌控法國勢力嘅重要部分,路易十八好需要令海軍「保皇化」。噉呢個時候,Chaumareys就係個合適人選,雖然佢對航海幾無知而人又自負。呢個任命個朝廷係放心啊,之佢啲屬下軍官失望呢。呢班軍官有好多係原先跟住拿破崙打英國嘅,佢哋又點會睇得起呢條咁無能嘅友?於是班軍官同Chaumareys之間嘅關係變得幾緊張。Des Touches中尉就話:
「
De Chaumareys係個貴族,不過我無點當回事。佢認爲我完全服從佢係理所當然。我同佢解釋,我哋喺佢走佬國外時我哋爲祖國服務係無錯嘅。跟住佢好嬲,對我嘅態度完全變曬……
《美杜莎之筏》喺1819年嘅巴黎畫展第一次展出,當時用嘅標題叫做《Scène de Naufrage》(譯:沉船場景),不過當時嘅人一睇就知幅畫畫緊嘅係幾年前嗰單海難[24]。舍希戈呢隻筏當時係場展覽嘅明星:「佢吸引每個觀眾嘅眼,引曬啲人來圍觀。」(《Le Journal de Paris》)[註 4]。路易十八喺展覽開幕前三日就來睇過,佢就話:「Monsieur, vous venez de faire un naufrage qui n'en est pas un pour vous.」[25],大概意思:「先生,你幅畫唔止係幅畫咁簡單。」[註 5][26]。啲評論家對此分兩陣:一派認爲佢畫嘅嘢幾恐怖(terribilità),但又蘊含一種激越;不過古典主義信徒、學院派就唔多歡迎佢,佢哋形容幅畫係「成堆鹹魚」,佢哋認爲幅畫內容不宜,而畫畫應該係畫嗰啲「理想美」,而Girodet嘅《Pygmalion et Galatée》體現咗呢點,於是當年畫展嘅獎畀佢攞咗。舍希戈嘅畫其實就體現咗一個藝術悖論:好驚駭甚至係「核突」嘅主題,點會畫出幅受人讚賞嘅畫?藝術同現實係要點先調和到?同舍希戈同期嘅一位法國畫家瑪希-菲臘·古班·地·拉·古皮(英文:Marie-Philippe Coupin de la Couperie)就話:「舍希戈佢係錯嘅。佢應該畫嗰啲能夠從我哋內心到感觀都可以覺得稱之爲「美」嘅嘢,而唔係好似而家噉畫埋曬啲又恐怖又核突嘅嘢。」[註 6]不過幅畫亦有好多人仰慕,其中包括當時有名嘅作家、藝術評論家Auguste Jal,佢好讚賞幅畫自由主義嘅政治立場、以及佢嘅藝術先鋒,而佢係個激進嘅反君主制嘅人。而史學家Jules Michelet則借幅畫發揮、對當時社會發出嚴重警告:「我哋成個社會每個人都正正喺呢隻美杜莎之筏度。」[註 7][3]。
呢部美杜莎號巡防艦喺1810年落水,裝備40炮,屬於巴拉斯級(Pallas)。有好多人同另外一部同樣叫「美杜莎」(Méduse)嘅巡防艦撈亂咗,嗰部船裝備26炮,屬於嗲娜依級(Danaé),嗰部船曾經去過越南──1789年7月24號,百多祿(Pigneau de Béhaine)同皇子景(阮映嘅仔)上咗呢部美杜莎號巡防艦,隨行300水軍、80炮兵、50黑人士兵,喺甲聖澤(Cap Saint-Jacques)嘅椰子灘登陸,呢個地方喺今日嘅頭頓。而幅畫畫嘅呢部船喺1816年去聖路易嘅航程中沉咗,結束佢嘅服役。
呢段話係勾出大意。法文版:「Monsieur Géricault semble se tromper. Le but de la peinture est de parler à l'âme et aux yeux, et non de repousser le public.」譯:「舍希戈先生似乎錯咗。繪畫嘅目的在於透過人眼向人心訴說,而非譁眾取寵。」;英文版:「Monsieur Géricault seems mistaken. The goal of painting is to speak to the soul and the eyes, not to repel.」譯:「舍希戈先生望落係錯嘅。畫畫係爲咗向心靈、肉眼訴說,而非排斥。」
法文:「c'est la société tout entière qui se trouve sur le Radeau de La Méduse」譯:「成個社會都喺美杜莎之筏度。」英文:「our whole society is aboard the raft of the Medusa」譯:「我哋成個社會都搭緊美杜莎之筏。」
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