author
Alexandre Corréard
1788–1857
Best remembered as one of the survivors of the wreck of the Méduse, he turned a shocking disaster into a firsthand account that helped fix the event in history. His life also crossed paths with art, politics, publishing, and geography in Restoration-era France.
1 Audiobook
Narrative of a Voyage to Senegal in 1816 Undertaken by Order of the French Government, Comprising an Account of the Shipwreck of the Medusa, the Sufferings of the Crew, and the Various Occurrences on Board the Raft, in the Desert of Zaara, at St. Louis, and at the Camp of Daccard. to Which Are Subjoined Observations Respecting the Agriculture of the Western Coast of Africa, from Cape Blanco to the Mouth of the Gambia.
by Jean Baptiste Henri Savigny, Alexandre Corréard
About the author
Born in Serres, France, on October 8, 1788, Alexandre Corréard trained as an engineer and geographer, studying at Arts et Métiers. He became widely known after sailing on the French frigate Méduse in 1816 as an engineer-geographer and surviving the shipwreck that inspired one of the most famous images of the nineteenth century, The Raft of the Medusa.
After the disaster, Corréard and fellow survivor Henri Savigny published a narrative of the wreck and its aftermath. Their account helped expose the scandal around the voyage and gave later generations a vivid record of the ordeal. Corréard also worked with Théodore Géricault while the painter was preparing The Raft of the Medusa, linking him directly to the making of the painting as well as to the history behind it.
Beyond the Méduse story, Corréard was active as a journalist, editor, and bookseller. He died at Avon, France, on February 16, 1857. Today he is remembered not only for surviving an infamous shipwreck, but for helping to document it so powerfully that the event still feels immediate more than two centuries later.