The Project

Paintings, drawings, lithographs, artist book and sculptures: by Lionel Guibout (born 1959)
Texts: Michel Tournier


The Atlantic Pavilion, hosted by Galleria del Leone welcomes starting June 7th through July 25th 2005, a solo exhibition of Lionel Guibout:

Medusa project

The Project is based on the wreck of the frigate « Medusa » that took place in 1816 off the coast of Africa.

In the famous painting, exhibited at the Louvre, the raft of the Medusa, Théodore Géricault, shocked by the events, gave us his own interpretation of the occurences condensed into one scene.

Two centuries later, Lionel Guibout goes back in history and turns the tragic story of the wreck into a myth, retracing the Odyssey in large paintings (11 in total), preparatory drawings (21 drawings et 40 lithographs) 7 pieces of sculpture in bronze.

Michel Tournier, member of the celebrated Académie Goncourt, went alongside with Lionel Guibout in this adventure, writing specifically for this project.
Both authors also took inspiration from the book written by one of the survivors, Jean-Baptiste Savigny, first published in London in 1818.

With these outstanding text and imagery, Galleria del Leone is proud to be the publishers of the artist book, MEDUSE.


In the tradition of Renaissance painting, Lionel Guibout, also known for his cycle on the GIANTS (dislocations of Gygès, Briarée and Cottos), works with the strength and the energy of the great affresco masters on themes from mythology and human History.