Joseph Vernet

This charming scene is a marvellous example of Joseph Vernet’s work: in the foreground, the figure of a young woman carrying a basket, with a dog at her feet, can be found in many of the artist’s compositions, as can the silhouette of the fisherman seen from behind. In the background, the towers and the mountain with its pink tints recall the light of Italy, where Vernet trained and lived for nearly twenty years. The gentle peace that emanates from this composition make it typical of the artist’s work.

A painter of seascapes, Vernet was called back to France in 1753, when he received the prestigious commission for the depiction of the Ports of France. Nevertheless, Vernet always remembered the warm colours of Italy and its classical ruins, introducing some motifs into his work over and over again. This often makes it difficult to identify works described in the artist’s first catalogue raisonné, published in 1926 by Florence Ingersoll-Smouse. A label on the back of our work establishes a list of five comparable paintings which could correspond to the present work.