1772, Claude Vernet, The Shipwreck -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label:
This dramatic scene is meant to evoke the "sublime," a feeling that combines terror, awe, and delight. The small, frantic figures are overwhelmed by the violence of nature: the wind and waves and the jagged lightning bolt brightening the dark sky. Moonlight, the partner painting hanging nearby, presents a contrast: a calm, reassuring harbor, peacefully subdued by man-made architecture.
Marine painting was popular in the 18th century, particularly in the British Empire, which maintained a powerful fleet of ships to secure its colonies around the globe. British aristocrats commissioned paired paintings from Vernet to decorate their country homes.
1772, Claude Vernet, The Shipwreck -- National Gallery of Art (Washington)
From the museum label:
This dramatic scene is meant to evoke the "sublime," a feeling that combines terror, awe, and delight. The small, frantic figures are overwhelmed by the violence of nature: the wind and waves and the jagged lightning bolt brightening the dark sky. Moonlight, the partner painting hanging nearby, presents a contrast: a calm, reassuring harbor, peacefully subdued by man-made architecture.
Marine painting was popular in the 18th century, particularly in the British Empire, which maintained a powerful fleet of ships to secure its colonies around the globe. British aristocrats commissioned paired paintings from Vernet to decorate their country homes.