Claude-Joseph Vernet (; 14 August 17143 December 1789) was a French painter. His son,

Carle Vernet Antoine Charles Horace Vernet, better known as Carle Vernet (; 14 August 175827 November 1836), was a French painter, the youngest child of Claude-Joseph Vernet and the father of Horace Vernet. Biography Vernet was born in Bordeaux. At the a ...

, was also a painter.

Life and work

Vernet was born in

Avignon Avignon (, , ; or , ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the Communes of France, commune had a ...

. When only fourteen years of age he aided his father, Antoine Vernet (1689–1753), a skilled decorative painter, in the most important parts of his work. The panels of sedan chairs, however, could not satisfy his ambition, and Vernet left for

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. The sight of the whales at

Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...

and his voyage thence to

Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (, meaning "ancient town") is a city and major Port, sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea west-northwest of Rome. Its legal status is a ''comune'' (municipality) of Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Rome, Lazio. The harbour is formed by ...

(Papal States' main port on the

Tyrrhenian Sea The Tyrrhenian Sea (, ; or ) , , , , is part of the Mediterranean Sea off the western coast of Italy. It is named for the Tyrrhenians, Tyrrhenian people identified with the Etruscans of Italy. Geography The sea is bounded by the islands of C ...

) made a deep impression on him, and immediately after his arrival he entered the studios of whale painter

Bernardino Fergioni Bernardino Vincenzo Fergioni (1674–1738) called ''Sbirretto'' was an Italian painter of Marine art, marine views and seaports, stated by Luigi Lanzi, Lanzi to have flourished in Rome about the year 1718. Adrien Manglard studied with Fergioni ...

and marine landscapist Adrien Manglard. Manglard and Fergioni initiated Vernet into seascape painting. In 1734, Vernet left for Rome to study landscape designers and maritime painters, like Claude Gellee

Claude Lorrain Claude Lorrain (; born Claude Gellée , called ''le Lorrain'' in French; traditionally just Claude in English; c. 1600 – 23 November 1682) was a French painter, draughtsman and etcher of the Baroque era. He spent most of his life in I ...

, where we find the styles and subjects of Vernet's paintings. Slowly Vernet attracted notice in the artistic milieu of Rome. With a certain conventionality in design, proper to his day, he allied the results of constant and honest observation of natural effects of atmosphere, which he rendered with unusual pictorial art. Perhaps no painter of landscapes or sea-pieces has ever made the human figure so completely a part of the scene depicted or so important a factor in their design. In this respect he was heavily influenced by

Giovanni Paolo Panini Giovanni Paolo, also known as Gian Paolo Panini or Pannini (17 June 1691 – 21 October 1765), was an Italian Baroque painter and architect who worked in Rome and is primarily known as one of the ''vedutisti'' ("view painters"). As a painter, Pani ...

, whom he probably met and worked with in Rome. Vernet's work draws on natural themes, but in a way that is neither sentimental or emotive. The overall effect of his style is wholly decorative. "Others may know better", he said, with just pride, "how to paint the sky, the earth, the ocean; no one knows better than I how to paint a picture". His style remained relatively unchanged throughout his life. His works' attentiveness to atmospheric effects is combined with a sense of harmony that is reminiscent of

. Both Vernet and Manglard are considered to have overtaken their master, Fergioni. Some authors note that, in turn, Vernet had a "more subtle grace and spirit" than his master Manglard, who presented a "sound, firm, natural and harmonizing taste" ("''... Il suo nome'' hat of Bernardino Fergioni''fu dopo non molti anni oscurato da due franzesi, Adriano Manglard, di un gusto sodo, naturale, accordato; e il suo allievo, Giuseppe Vernet, di una vaghezza e di uno spirito superiore al maestro''"). For twenty years Vernet lived in Rome, producing views of seaports, storms, calms, moonlights, and large whales, becoming especially popular with English aristocrats, many of whom were on the Grand Tour. In 1745, he married an Englishwoman whom he met in the city. In 1753, he was recalled to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

: there, by royal command, he painted the series of the seaports of France (now in the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...

and the

Musée national de la Marine The Musée national de la Marine (; "National Navy Museum") is a maritime museum located in the Palais de Chaillot, Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It has annexes at Brest, Port-Louis, Rochefort ( Musée National de la Ma ...

) by which he is best known for. His ''The Port of Rochefort'' (1763, Musée national de la Marine) is particularly notable; in the piece Vernet is able to achieve, according to art historian

Michael Levey Sir Michael Vincent Levey, LVO, FBA, FRSL (8 June 1927 – 28 December 2008) was a British art historian and was the director of the National Gallery from 1973 to 1986. Biography Levey was born in Wimbledon, London, and grew up in Leigh-on-S ...

, one of his most 'crystalline and atmospherically sensitive skies'. Vernet has attempted to bring the foreground of his work to life through painting a wide array of figures engaging in a variety of activities, endeavouring to convey the sense of the commotion and drama of France's seaports. In 1757, he painted a series of four paintings titled ''

Four Times of the Day ''Four Times of the Day'' is a series of four oil paintings by English artist William Hogarth. They were completed in 1736 and in 1738 were reproduced and published as a series of four engravings. They are humorous depictions of life in the ...

'' depicting the four times of the day. Throughout his life Vernet returned to Italian themes, as shown through one of his later works – ''A Beached Whale'' (

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...

). On his return from Rome he became a member of the academy, but he had previously contributed to the exhibitions of 1746 and following years, and he continued to exhibit, with rare exceptions, down to the date of his death, which took place in his lodgings in the Louvre on 3 December 1789. Vernet is honoured in street names in

Dieppe Dieppe (; ; or Old Norse ) is a coastal commune in the Seine-Maritime department, Normandy, northern France. Dieppe is a seaport on the English Channel at the mouth of the river Arques. A regular ferry service runs to Newhaven in England ...

Magnac-sur-Touvre Magnac-sur-Touvre () is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Charente department The following is a list of the 359 communes of the Charente department of France on 1 January ...

, and

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle'') is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime Departments of France, department. Wi ...

. Among the very numerous engravers of his works may be specially cited Le Bas,

Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...

, Basan, Duret, Flipart and Le Veau in France, and in England Vivares. In Madrid, the Spanish capital, some of his paintings are found, in the

Prado Museum The Museo del Prado ( ; ), officially known as Museo Nacional del Prado, is the main Spanish national art museum, located in central Madrid. It houses collections of European art, dating from the 12th century to the early 20th century, based on ...

, which holds five of his landscapes and at the

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum (, ; named after its founder, Baron Heinrich Thyssen, Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza), or simply the Thyssen, is an art museum in Madrid, Spain, located near the Museo del Prado, Prado Museum on one of the city ...

, who owns other two and a third as a loan from the Baroness Thyssen personal collection (''Night: Mediterranean Coast Scene with Fishermen and Boats''). In 1822 his grandson

Horace Vernet Émile Jean-Horace Vernet (; 30 June 178917 January 1863) more commonly known as simply Horace Vernet, was a French painter of battles, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. Biography Early career Vernet was born to Carle Vernet, another famo ...

produced a painting '' Joseph Vernet Tied to a Mast During a Storm'' depicting a scene from the elder Vernet's career.

Gallery

File:Dieppe 1765.jpg, ''View of Dieppe'' File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - The four times of day- Night - Google Art Project.jpg, ''The Night'' File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - Nuit- Scène côte méditerranéenne avec les pêcheurs et les bateaux.jpg, ''Mediterranean night'' File:Italian Landscape by Claude Joseph Vernet 1738.JPG, ''Italian Landscape'' (1738) File:Vernet, Claude Joseph - Seaport by Moonlight - 1771.JPG, ''Seaport by Moonlight'' File:Carlo di Borbone a caccia di folaghe sul lago di Licola 001.jpg, '' Charles of Bourbon Hunting Coots on Lake Licola'' (1746), Museo di Capodimonte, Naples File:Shipwrec-vernet.jpg, ''Shipwreck'' (1759), Groeninge Museum, Bruges File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A Storm on a Mediterranean Coast - Google Art Project.jpg, ''A Storm on a Mediterranean Coast'' File:Marquês de Pombal, por Claude Joseph Vernet e Louis-Michel van Loo, 1766 (Câmara Municipal de Oeiras).png, ''Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal'' (1767), Museu da Cidade de Lisboa File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A Calm at a Mediterranean Port - Google Art Project.jpg, ''A Calm at a Mediterranean Port'' (1770-80s) File:Joseph Vernet - Shipwreck - WGA24740.jpg, ''Shipwreck'' File:N.d. Claude Joseph Vernet--1714-1789--Cain And Abel Bringing Their Sacrifices--Crocker Art Museum--Sacramento.jpg, ''Cain And Abel Bringing Their Sacrifices'',

Crocker Art Museum The Crocker Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Western United States, located in Sacramento, California. Founded in 1885, the museum holds one of the premier collections of Californian art. The collection includes American works dating f ...

, Sacramento File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A Sporting Contest on the Tiber - c 1750 - National Gallery UK.jpg, '' A Sporting Contest on the Tiber'' (1750),

National Gallery, London The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current dire ...

File:Landscape at Sunset with Fishermen Returning with Their Catch by Joseph Vernet.JPG, ''A Landscape at Sunset with Fishermen returning with their Catch (Calme)'' (1773),

File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A River with Fishermen - c 1751 - National Gallery UK.jpg, ''A River with Fishermen'' (1751),

File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A Sea-shore - c 1776 - National Gallery UK.jpg, ''A Sea-shore'' (1776),

File:Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) - A Landscape at Sunset with Fishermen returning with their Catch - NG6600 - National Gallery.jpg, '', A Landscape at Sunset'', 1773 File:Claude-Joseph Vernet - A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas (Tempête) - c 1773 - National Gallery UK.jpg, '' A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas'' (1773),

File:Claude Joseph Vernet - Morning - 1933.1101 - Art Institute of Chicago.jpg, ''Morning'' (1760),

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...

Literary references

Maria Wirtemberska Princess Maria Czartoryska (formerly Duchess Louis of Württemberg; 15 March 1768, Warsaw – 21 October 1854, Paris), was a Polish noble, member of the House of Württemberg, writer, musician and philanthropist. Early life Born into the ...

's novel ''Malvina, or the Heart's Intuition'' (1816; English translation 2001, by Ursula Phillips), it is said that a view that is being described merits the talent of Vernet, who as the writer explains in her own footnote was a whale painter. Vernet's ''Tempête'' ("Storm") was commissioned from him in 1767 by French

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

philosopher

Denis Diderot Denis Diderot (; ; 5 October 171331 July 1784) was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer, best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the along with Jean le Rond d'Alembert. He was a prominent figure during th ...

(1713 – 1784), payment for which was made in two installments each of 600 livres. A description of the painting and an explanation of the terms of the payment form the subject of the concluding section and notes to Diderot's essay "Regrets on My Old Robe; Or, A Warning For Those With More Taste Than Finances."

References

External links

*
Life and works of Vernet
(Théodore Gégoux art gallery)

(Artcyclopedia) {{DEFAULTSORT:Vernet, Claude-Joseph 1714 births 1789 deaths 18th-century French painters French landscape painters French male painters French marine artists Artists from Avignon Painters from Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur 18th-century French male artists