The Shipwreck
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
overall: 113.5 x 162.9 cm (44 11/16 x 64 1/8 in.) framed: 124.8 x 172.9 x 7.6 cm (49 1/8 x 68 1/16 x 3 in.)
Classification
Painting
Department
CF
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Patrons' Permanent Fund and Chester Dale Fund
Accession Number
2000.22.1
Art Historical Context
Claude-Joseph Vernet, one of the leading French marine painters of the eighteenth century, created *The Shipwreck* in 1772 as a powerful example of his dramatic seascapes. Working primarily in oil on canvas,et specialized in scenes that capture the raw force of nature, drawing on a tradition of Dutch marine art while infusing his compositions with heightened emotion and theatrical lighting. This large-scale painting, measuring over four feet in height, invites viewers to witness the chaos of a vessel caught in a violent storm. The work reflects the period’s fascination with the sublime—the aw...
About the Artist
Claude-Joseph Vernet
Claude-Joseph Vernet and his direct descendants are the last representatives of the Avignon School which had provided a continuous line of artists since the 14th century. It originated at the time when Bernard de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux, became pope in the name of Clement V and transferred the seat of the papacy to Avignon where he established an influential artistic community. Comment on wor...