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Theodore Gericault's gruesome subject matter and fascination with symbolic interpretation made him a forerunner to the French Romantic movement. Portrait of an Artist: Theodore Gericault- Men and Wild Horses documents his revolutionary style. Gericault actually studied the faces of decapitated heads of criminals to paint the nature of suffering. His series of canvasses depicting mental patients testifies to Gericault's ideas on the purpose of art. His dark and detailed Raft of the Medusa was Gericault's most complicated achievement. The ambitious and horrific painting symbolized Gericault's wish to re-create topical events while exploring the deeper meaning behind them.