1791 Born in Rouen.
1796 The family move to Paris.
1808 Géricault’s mother dies, leaving him an annuity which freed him from concerns regarding money.
1810 Studies under the classicist Pierre Guérin.
1811 Spends his time copying old masters in the Louvre.
1812 Exhibits the Charging Chasseur at the Salon for which he is awarded a gold medal.
1814 Géricault buys a commission in the Mousquetaires Gris, a ceremonial cavalry unit. However, he briefly sees active service after Napoleon’s escape from Elba.
1816 Fails to win the Prix de Rome competition but travels to Italy independently.
1817 Returns to Paris.
1818 Géricault’s secret mistress, the much younger wife of his elderly uncle gives birth to their child.
1819 The Raft of the Medusa receives mixed reviews at the Salon. Géricault suffers a nervous breakdown.
1820 Leaves France for London.
1821 Returns to France in December, his health failing.
1822 Loses part of his investments through unwise speculation.
1824 Dies in Paris, probably from tuberculosis.
1812 Officer of the Chasseurs charging, Paris, Musée du Louvre
1814 The Blacksmith’s Signboard, Zurich, Kunsthaus
1814 The Wounded Cuirassier, Paris, Musée du Louvre
1817 Riderless Racers at Rome, Baltimore, Walters Art Museum
1817–18 The Bull Market, Harvard, Fogg Art Museum
1819 The Raft of the Medusa, Paris, Musée du Louvre
1820 Three Lovers, Malibu, J Paul Getty Museum
1822 The Insane Woman, Lyon, Musée des Beaux-Arts
1823 Kleptomaniac, Ghent, Musée des Beaux-Arts