Art Analysis - "A Storm on the Mediterranean Coast"

 

A Storm on the Mediterranean Coast, Claude-Joseph Vernet, 1767

"A Storm on the Mediterranean Coast", by Claude-Joseph Vernet depicts the aftermath of a storm involving a ship-wrecked boat, survivors on the beach, and a lighthouse. Vernet painted this piece of art in 1767 using oil on a canvas. He painted this in France after he was commissioned by King Louis XV of France in 1753 to travel around France and paint large canvases of some of the many ports of France. Some of the artistic elements included in this painting include the artist's skillful use of color, lines, and tone. 

Color: Claude Joseph-Vernet uses color to make certain aspects of his painting pop out against the background such as the survivors of the shipwreck bright clothing. These bright blues, reds, and oranges stand out against the duller background colors of gray, brown, and green, and make a stark contrast between the dark, angry sea and the bright survivors of this storm. The sky blue peeking out in the upper right side of the painting also show a possible peaceful atmosphere that could be just around the corner for the people in the painting. 

Line: Vernet fills this painting with many opposing lines to express the energy of the scene and the storm that is occurring. The diagonal lines shown through the rain, the waves, the ship, the trees, and even the survivors of the shipwreck all help to show the motion of the scene. We can see that many aspects of the painting are in motion including the people, running out of the ocean towards safety. The lighthouse, however shows the strength of the building and the safety that it can provide because of the upright, solid position that it was painted in contrasting the movement around it. 

Tone: For most of his painting, Vernet uses a dull or darker tone of the colors to portray the eeriness of the situation and the angriness of the sea and clouds. The dark tones also push our eyes once again to the bright features fleeing the storm. 

Personally, I think this is a great painting and I love the many different elements that Vernet used to show contrast in this piece of artwork. This type of landscape including nature, yet elements of humanity such as the people, boat, and lighthouse is a style of artwork that I particularly enjoy looking at and learning the history behind. 

Vernet also painted a type of companion piece for this artwork, titled, "A Calm at a Mediterranean Port", which is pictured below. 

A Calm at a Mediterranean Port, Claude-Joseph Vernet, 1770

I love the way that Vernet used these two painting to contrast yet compliment each other so well. The colors of the warm oranges and yellows in the second one help to show that much more peaceful atmosphere than the cool blues and grays of the angry seas in the first painting. 

While, looking at more of Claude-Joseph Vernet's artwork it is obvious that he enjoyed painting these canvases for King Louis XV of the ports of France as is seen through the skill and emotion displayed in them. 

References: 

A storm on a Mediterranean coast (the J. paul getty museum collection). Getty. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/103QT8

A calm at a Mediterranean port (the J. Paul Getty Museum collection). Getty. (n.d.). Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/108J7V



Comments

  1. Christopher MittelstadtSeptember 22, 2022 at 9:59 PM

    What a visually interesting piece! I agree wholeheartedly with how you described the use of tone in this painting, it really does much to make the survivors pop. I also feel as if it shows the wrath of nature, with the severely dark tones used specifically on the crashing waves and billowing clouds.
    I'm so glad you included its companion piece and set both in their historical context! It made it so much more grounded for me as a reader.
    Very good work!

    ReplyDelete
  2. thisisaleanaSeptember 22, 2022 at 11:00 PM

    I think it was super cool that you used to photos to compare the contrast between the stormy painting and the calm painting. I have to say I prefer A Storm On The Mediterranean Coast more than the other one, but they are both visually pleasing. I like how in the top painting the artist used contrast to show the part of the sky where the storm ended, and the part where the storm was active, it reminds me of crazy Colorado weather where it rains in one area and then two inches away it's dry. The way the artist used his brush strokes to give the waves texture is also intriguing.

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