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Lot Essay
The present picture and its pendant, Seaport at sunset, originally formed part of the collection of the comte de Merles, a patron and friend of Vernet. Although Vernet's Livres de Raison does not record a sale to Merles for that period, the pair, dated 1749, are likely to have been ordered by Merles from the artist directly. Vernet's diary reveals that Merles and Vernet, both in Rome at that time, went hunting together during October, November and early December 1749, (L. Lagrange, op. cit., p. 378). In May 1772, Merles commissioned another pair of marines from the artist (present location unknown, see L. Lagrange, op. cit., p. 350).
The comte de Merles, described by Vernet's biographer, Leon Lagrange, as ' un jeune amateur que l'amour de l'art retient dans la ville éternelle' (Lagrange, op. cit., p. 42) had met Vernet in Rome. The sale of his collection of pictures, furniture and works of art (in which this picture was lot 22) in March 1784, conducted by Julliot and Paillet, was a notable event in the Paris art market. Paillet bought three pictures for King Louis XVI at the sale: two by Simone Cantarini and one by David Teniers II.
The picture and its pendant were probably separated soon after the Merles sale. The pendant Seaport at Sunset, which depicts the arrival of a merchant being greeted by his wife, children and servant, and which formed part of the collection of Luke White at Luttrellstown, Ireland, which was subsequently bought by the Guinness family, and passed to the Hon. Mrs. Plunkett, was exhibited in London in 1976 (see P. Conisbee, catalogue of the exhibition, Claude-Joseph Vernet 1714-1789, London, 1976). In the 1784 sale catalogue, both pictures were described as views of the port of Naples. Although the views have not been precisely identified, the hilly coast is suggestive of that around Naples which Vernet painted on many occasions during his stay in Italy.
Born in Avignon, Vernet went to Rome at the age of twenty to become a history painter. He soon took to landscape painting after discovering the art of Claude Gellée, Salvator Rosa and Andrea Locatelli, and decided to join the studio of Adrien Manglard, a successful French marine painter. He travelled to Naples in 1737 and on many other occasions. By 1740, Vernet had established a reputation as a painter of marines and French diplomats as well as English travellers were to be among Vernet's most consistent patrons. In 1753, Vernet returned to France to work on the royal commission of the Ports de France series.
The present picture, dated 1749, belongs to Vernet's Italian period, often considered to be his most creative. As Ingersoll-Smouse describes: 'l'ensemble de la période italienne, depuis la série à la manière de S. Rosa aux tableaux de genre constitue, par sa richesse, la variété des sujets et la beauté d'execution, la plus belle partie dans la vie et l'art de Vernet' (op. cit., I, p. 20). With its rainbow dramatically stretched across a stormy sky, and the bold shafts of sunlight beaming down on the picturesque scene below, this must surely rank as one of Vernet's most romantic depictions of the Mediterranean coast.
The comte de Merles, described by Vernet's biographer, Leon Lagrange, as ' un jeune amateur que l'amour de l'art retient dans la ville éternelle' (Lagrange, op. cit., p. 42) had met Vernet in Rome. The sale of his collection of pictures, furniture and works of art (in which this picture was lot 22) in March 1784, conducted by Julliot and Paillet, was a notable event in the Paris art market. Paillet bought three pictures for King Louis XVI at the sale: two by Simone Cantarini and one by David Teniers II.
The picture and its pendant were probably separated soon after the Merles sale. The pendant Seaport at Sunset, which depicts the arrival of a merchant being greeted by his wife, children and servant, and which formed part of the collection of Luke White at Luttrellstown, Ireland, which was subsequently bought by the Guinness family, and passed to the Hon. Mrs. Plunkett, was exhibited in London in 1976 (see P. Conisbee, catalogue of the exhibition, Claude-Joseph Vernet 1714-1789, London, 1976). In the 1784 sale catalogue, both pictures were described as views of the port of Naples. Although the views have not been precisely identified, the hilly coast is suggestive of that around Naples which Vernet painted on many occasions during his stay in Italy.
Born in Avignon, Vernet went to Rome at the age of twenty to become a history painter. He soon took to landscape painting after discovering the art of Claude Gellée, Salvator Rosa and Andrea Locatelli, and decided to join the studio of Adrien Manglard, a successful French marine painter. He travelled to Naples in 1737 and on many other occasions. By 1740, Vernet had established a reputation as a painter of marines and French diplomats as well as English travellers were to be among Vernet's most consistent patrons. In 1753, Vernet returned to France to work on the royal commission of the Ports de France series.
The present picture, dated 1749, belongs to Vernet's Italian period, often considered to be his most creative. As Ingersoll-Smouse describes: 'l'ensemble de la période italienne, depuis la série à la manière de S. Rosa aux tableaux de genre constitue, par sa richesse, la variété des sujets et la beauté d'execution, la plus belle partie dans la vie et l'art de Vernet' (op. cit., I, p. 20). With its rainbow dramatically stretched across a stormy sky, and the bold shafts of sunlight beaming down on the picturesque scene below, this must surely rank as one of Vernet's most romantic depictions of the Mediterranean coast.