Portrait of Carle Vernet

Art Historical Context

This striking lithograph, created in 1817 by Horace Vernet, captures a portrait of his father, renowned painter Carle Vernet. Executed in black on ivory wove paper, the work measures just over eight inches in height and exemplifies the intimate scale often favored in early print portraits. As a lithograph, it represents one of the earliest artistic uses of this revolutionary medium, which had been invented only two decades earlier and allowed artists to draw directly onto stone for remarkably fluid and expressive reproductions. Horace Vernet, who would later become celebrated for his dynamic military scenes during the Romantic era, here turns his attention to a personal subject with quiet precision. The choice of lithography highlights the medium’s growing importance in the early nineteenth century, bridging the gap between fine art and wider accessibility by enabling multiple impressions without sacrificing the spontaneity of drawing. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Prints and Drawings department, this work offers visitors a glimpse into both artistic lineage and technical innovation. The portrait stands as a testament to the Vernet family’s artistic dynasty while showcasing lithography’s potential to convey character and texture with elegant simplicity.

About the Artist

Horace Vernet · 1789–1863

**Horace Vernet** (full name Émile Jean-Horace Vernet) was a leading French painter of the nineteenth century, renowned for his dynamic battle scenes, portraits, and Orientalist subjects. Born on 30 June 1789 in Paris at the Louvre during the French Revolution, he came from a distinguished artistic dynasty. He was the son of the equestrian and military painter Carle Vernet and the grandson of the ...