THE ORIENTAL BEAUTY

ALTHOUGH BORN INTO A DISTINGUISHED ARTISTIC FAMILY AS THE SON OF THE MILITARY PAINTER HIPPOLYTE LECOMTE, THE NEPHEW OF HORACE VERNET AND THE GRANDSON OF CARLE VERNET (SEE LOT 45), ÉMILE VERNET-LECOMTE REMAINS SOMETHING OF AN ELUSIVE FIGURE IN FRENCH 19TH CENTURY PAINTING. HE EXHIBITED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT THE SALON OF 1843, FOLLOWING A PERIOD OF STUDY UNDER HIS UNCLE, ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT UNTIL 1847 THAT HE SHOWED HIS FIRST PROPERLY ORIENTALIST PICTURES AT THE SALON. IT SEEMS PROBABLE THAT HE TRAVELLED TO THE LEVANT AT SOME STAGE OF HIS CAREER - MOST LIKELY AROUND 1850 - PARTICULARLY IN VIEW OF THE CLOSELY-OBSERVED DETAIL WITH WHICH HE INVESTS HIS ORIENTAL PICTURES.