Meta-Impressionism / other artists:

Horace Vernet

1789 – 1863

a painter of battlefields

Introduction:
This page renders some info and paintings on Emile-Jean-Horace Vernet (1789-1863). He is mainly known for the many historical battlefields he made. Namely more recent onces. He did so with historical accuracy, without heroism and propaganda. He once said “I am a painter of history, sire, and I will not violate the truth” (iR3). He mostly showed large masses of soldiers fighting and dying, depicting war in all its chaos and savagery. Many of these battles scenes are now in the Musée Nationale in the Château de Versailles, more specific in the Museum of the History of France (=M195;R322,p225).

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822, The battle of Montmirail (1814-02-11), 178x290, NG London (M61;R322,p206;R231-9) Expos: S1824; EU-1855-4147, Montmirail: l’empereur Napoléon Ier, 1814; (à M. le marquis d’Herfort; peint en 1822) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822, The battle of Montmirail (1814-02-11), 178×290, NG London (M61;R322,p206;R231-9) Expos: S1824; EU-1855-4147, Montmirail: l’empereur Napoléon Ier, 1814; (à M. le marquis d’Herfort; peint en 1822)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1844-46, CR487, Bataille d’Isly (1844-08-14), 514x1040, MNCh Versailles (iR6;M195;R321-9) Expos: =S1846-1767;=? EU-1855--4152, Batailly d’Isly: le maréchal Bugeau, août 1814 (Maison de l'empereur) (Salon de 1846) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1844-46, CR487, Bataille d’Isly (1844-08-14), 514×1040, MNCh Versailles (iR6;M195;R321-9) Expos: =S1846-1767;=? EU-1855–4152, Batailly d’Isly: le maréchal Bugeau, août 1814 (Maison de l’empereur) (Salon de 1846)

Horace Vernet: elements of Romanticism:
Vernet his battlefields are seen as Romantic pictures in the sense that they evoked strong emotions (R322,p207). Vernet also depicted the perishability of humans (when victims of an epidemic) and the smallness of humans facing impressive natural forces (such as the eruption of a vulcano). Typical Romantic themes. But, his journalistic approach make him difficult to categorize (R322,p225).
Vernet also depicted several oriental scenes. From 1839-48 he made trips to Egypt, Syria and Algers.

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1818, The soldier on the field of battle (Waterloo 1815), 46x55, NSM Passadena (iR6;M43) Expo: =S1819 — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1818, The soldier on the field of battle (Waterloo 1815), 46×55, NSM Passadena (iR6;M43) Expo: =S1819

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822, Plague in Barcelona in 1819, 65x54, Hermitage (iR6;M95) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822, Plague in Barcelona in 1819, 65×54, Hermitage (iR6;M95)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822ca, The Vesuvius erupting, 93x74, MFA Houston (iR6;iR10;M163) Depicting Vernet and his father Carle. — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822ca, The Vesuvius erupting, 93×74, MFA Houston (iR6;iR10;M163) Depicting Vernet and his father Carle.

Horace Vernet; a highly awarded and established artist:
Horace received at the Salon of 1812 a 1st class medal (for History). He was appointed at the Légion d’Honneur as Chevalier in 1814, as Officier in 1825 and as Commandeur in 1842. He was appointed as member of l’Institut in 1826. He was appointed director of the French Academy in Rome, from 1828/29 to 1835 (R239,p399;iR3). He had several pupils, including the Dutch painter Jozef Israëls. (iR1;iR3;iR5;R231)
Vernet also received several commissions during his life (R322,p226;iR6). Here below you will find two examples, commissioned by the successive kings Charles X (reign 1824-30) and Louis Philippe (1830-48).

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1827, CR267, Bataille de Bouvines (1214-07-27) gagnee par Philippe Auguste, 510x958, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR1;iR23;M195) Provenance: commissioned by King Charles X. Expos: =S1827-1, Philippe-Auguste, avant la bataille de Bouvines (Conseil d'Etat) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1827, CR267, Bataille de Bouvines (1214-07-27) gagnee par Philippe Auguste, 510×958, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR1;iR23;M195) Provenance: commissioned by King Charles X. Expos: =S1827-1, Philippe-Auguste, avant la bataille de Bouvines (Conseil d’Etat)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1846, CR494, Louis-Philippe and his sons on horseback in front of the gates of the Palace of Versailles, 367x394, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR23;M195) Commissioned by King Louis-Philippe. — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1846, CR494, Louis-Philippe and his sons on horseback in front of the gates of the Palace of Versailles, 367×394, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR23;M195) Commissioned by King Louis-Philippe.

Horace Vernet at the Salon:
Horace received at the Salon of 1812 a 1st class medal (for History); a work that is now lost. He exhibited regularly at the Salon. Though in 1822 two paintings were rejected. In 1824 he showed almost 40 works.
Note: more info will follow.

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1820, CR118, Defense de la barrière Clichy (1814-03-30), 97x130, Louvre (iR6;iR23;R231-9;M5) Provenance: Commissioned by Claude Odiot. Expos: S1822-R; =!? EU-1855-4149, La barrière de Clichy, ou la défense de Paris en 1814 (Maison de l'empereur) (Pent en 1820) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1820, CR118, Defense de la barrière Clichy (1814-03-30), 97×130, Louvre (iR6;iR23;R231-9;M5) Provenance: Commissioned by Claude Odiot. Expos: S1822-R; =!? EU-1855-4149, La barrière de Clichy, ou la défense de Paris en 1814 (Maison de l’empereur) (Pent en 1820)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1832, Le duc d'Orléans quitte le Palais-Royal pour se rendre à l'Hôtel de Ville (The Duc d'Orléans on his way to the Hôtel de Ville; 1830-07-31), 228x258, MNCh Versailles (M195;iR10;R322,p227) =S1833. — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1832, Le duc d’Orléans quitte le Palais-Royal pour se rendre à l’Hôtel de Ville (The Duc d’Orléans on his way to the Hôtel de Ville; 1830-07-31), 228×258, MNCh Versailles (M195;iR10;R322,p227) =S1833.

Horace Vernet at the Exposition Universelle:
At the Exposition Universelle of 1855 Horace Vernet showed 22! paintings.
Posthumously works were shown at the Centennial exposition in 1889 (4 paintings) and 1900 (2 or 3 paintings).

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1826, Scene of the French Campaign of 1814, 57x72, FAM San Francisco (iR6;iR94;iR10;R231-9;M30) Expo: =? EU-1855-4148, Episode de la campagne de France, 1814 (à M. Schikler). — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1826, Scene of the French Campaign of 1814, 57×72, FAM San Francisco (iR6;iR94;iR10;R231-9;M30) Expo: =? EU-1855-4148, Episode de la campagne de France, 1814 (à M. Schikler).

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1820ca, CR139, The artist's studio, 52x64, private (iR10;iRx;iR6;R231-9) =? EU-1855-4165, Intérieur d’atelier (à M. le comte de Lariboisière) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1820ca, CR139, The artist’s studio, 52×64, private (iR10;iRx;iR6;R231-9) =? EU-1855-4165, Intérieur d’atelier (à M. le comte de Lariboisière)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1838-39, Siège de Constantine; prise de la ville (1837-10-13), 512x518, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR23;iR10;R231-5+19;M195) =S1839; =? EU-1855-4150, Attaque de la porte de Constantine: lieutenant-colonel Lamoricière, 13 octobre 1837 (Répétition du tableau original, peinte en 1855); =EU-1889-C-642, Siège de Constantine; prise de la ville (1837-10-13) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1838-39, Siège de Constantine; prise de la ville (1837-10-13), 512×518, MNCh Versailles (iR6;iR23;iR10;R231-5+19;M195) =S1839; =? EU-1855-4150, Attaque de la porte de Constantine: lieutenant-colonel Lamoricière, 13 octobre 1837 (Répétition du tableau original, peinte en 1855); =EU-1889-C-642, Siège de Constantine; prise de la ville (1837-10-13)

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1826, Mazeppa aux loups, 97x136, Calvet Avignon (iR6;iR10;iR104;iR1;M172;R231-1+2+9)Expos: EU-1855-4158, Mazeppa aux loups (Musée d’Avignon; peint en 1826); EU-1900-C-653 (Musée d'Avignon) — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1826, Mazeppa aux loups, 97×136, Calvet Avignon (iR6;iR10;iR104;iR1;M172;R231-1+2+9) Expos: EU-1855-4158, Mazeppa aux loups (Musée d’Avignon; peint en 1826); EU-1900-C-653 (Musée d’Avignon)

Horace Vernet at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts:
In 1898 Vernet was honoured with a posthumous exhibition at the École des Beaux-arts.
Note: more info will follow.

E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822-23ca, Théodore Gericault, 47x38, Metropolitan (M23;iR6) =EdBA-1898-296 — E.-J.-Horace Vernet (1789-1863): 1822-23ca, Théodore Gericault, 47×38, Metropolitan (M23;iR6) =EdBA-1898-296

Sources:
My main sources are: My main sources are Rauch (2000=R293,p399-412); Petra ten-Doesschate Chu (2012=R322,p207); Krausse (R172,p60-62); Schilderkunst van A tot Z (1987=R13,p734); Walther (2013=R3); Roberts (1965=R61); WikiPedia (iR3;iR5); WikiMedia (iR6); the Salon database (iR1); catalogues of the Exposition Universelles (R231). See the link for other general References (=Rx), to the internet references (=iRx) and Musea (=M). See links for practical hints and abbreviations and for the subscription of the paintings.

Additional references:

Recommanded citation: “Meta-Impressionism: Horace Vernet (1789-1863) a painter of historical battlefields. Last modified 2025/10/03. https://www.impressionism.nl/horace-vernet-1789-1863/”