Collection: Horace Vernet

Horace Vernet (Émile Jean-Horace Vernet; 1789–1863) was a French painter and lithographer, born and active in Paris. The son of Carle Vernet and grandson of Claude Joseph Vernet, he continued a family tradition of painting. His oeuvre encompassed battle scenes, portraits, sporting subjects, and Orientalist themes, establishing him as a significant figure in French art of his era.

Vernet specialized in vast battle panoramas, notably contributing works to the Gallery of Battles at Versailles. His compositions often depicted the common soldier in combat, reflecting the Napoleonic wars and later, the Algerian campaign. He also produced Orientalist subjects, exploring themes and settings beyond traditional European iconography.

Vernet served King Louis Philippe I and Napoleon III, receiving commissions for his historical paintings. His work was appreciated by figures such as Taras Shevchenko, who considered Vernet, alongside Eugène Delacroix and Paul Delaroche, a representative of a "new French school" of painting.