Horace Vernet facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Horace Vernet
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Self-Portrait with Pipe, 1835
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Émile Jean-Horace Vernet
30 June 1789 Paris, France
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| Died | 17 January 1863 (aged 73) Paris, France
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| Known for | Painter, draughtsman and lithographer |
| Movement | Orientalist |
Horace Vernet (born Émile Jean-Horace Vernet on June 30, 1789, died January 17, 1863) was a famous French painter. He was known for his paintings of battles, people's faces (portraits), and scenes from the Middle East and North Africa.
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Horace Vernet's Early Life and Art
Horace Vernet was born in Paris, France, on June 30, 1789. He was born inside the famous Louvre building. This happened while his parents were staying there during the French Revolution. Horace came from a family of artists. His father, Carle Vernet, was also a famous painter. His grandfather, Claude Joseph Vernet, was a well-known painter too.
Horace Vernet did not like the very serious style of art that was popular at the time. This style was called Classicism. Instead, he wanted to paint things from everyday life. When he was just 20, he showed his painting Taking of an Entrenched Camp. This was during the time when Napoleon Bonaparte was in charge of France.
Painting French Soldiers Realistically
Vernet started painting French soldiers in a more real way. He did not make them look like perfect heroes, as other artists did. Some of his paintings that show soldiers more directly include Dog of the Regiment and Trumpeter's Horse.
Becoming a Famous Painter
Horace Vernet became very well known during the Bourbon Restoration in France. This was a time when kings ruled France again after Napoleon. He painted many battle scenes for the future King Louis-Philippe. People were amazed by how fast he could paint.
Many of his early paintings were very accurate in their historical details. They also showed exciting landscapes. Some famous examples are his "Four Battles" series:
- The Battle of Jemappes (1821)
- The Battle of Montmirail (1822)
- The Battle of Hanau (1824)
- The Battle of Valmy (1826)
From 1829 to 1835, he was in charge of the French Academy in Rome. This was a very important art school.
Paintings for King Louis-Philippe
Throughout his long career, Horace Vernet received many important jobs. King Louis-Philippe was one of his biggest supporters. Vernet decorated a whole room at the Palace of Versailles in just three years. This room was called the Constantine room.
The King asked Vernet to paint scenes about France's "civilizing mission" in Algeria. At that time, France was taking over Algeria through war. Vernet painted pictures showing French soldiers training Algerian soldiers. He also painted French engineers building roads and soldiers farming fields. These paintings were done in a style similar to ancient Roman art.
Depicting Battles and War
Vernet's paintings of Algerian battles were very popular in France. They showed the French army fighting bravely. Examples include Capture of the Smahla and Capture of Constantine.
After King Louis-Philippe's rule ended, Vernet found a new supporter in Napoléon III of France. He continued to paint the French army during the Second French Empire. He always tried to show war in a realistic way. He even went with the French Army during the Crimean War. He painted the Battle of the Alma, but this painting was not as popular as his earlier works.
There is a story that once, a general asked Vernet to remove him from a painting. Vernet supposedly replied, "I am a painter of history, sir, and I will not violate the truth." This shows how much he cared about painting things exactly as they happened.
Horace Vernet's Photography Interest
Horace Vernet was also interested in early photography, called daguerreotype. He took photos in Egypt to help him with his paintings. In 1840, he stopped in Malta on his way to Egypt. There, he took some of the first known photos of the island. Sadly, these early photographs are now lost.
Horace Vernet died in his hometown of Paris in 1863.
Gallery
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The Battle of Valmy (1826)
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Polish Prometheus (1831)
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Hunting in the Pontine Marshes (1833)
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Scene from the Mexican Expedition in 1838 (1841)
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Judith et Holopherne, 1831
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The Taking of the Malakoff Redoubt (1858)
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An Algerian Lady Hawking (1829)
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Siege of Saragossa (1819)
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Pope Julius II ordering Bramante and Michelangelo to design St Peter's Basilica (1827)
See also
In Spanish: Horace Vernet para niños
