Portrait of Louise Vernet
| Support Type: | Canvas |
| Paint Type: | Oil Paint |
| Current Location: | Musèe du Louvre in Paris, France or The Museum of Louvre, Paris, France |
| Location History: | Submitted and Exhibited in Salon of 1831, held at Louvre Palace. It was with its ancestral home for years and only in 1995 it was added to the Museum of Louvre, Paris, Department of Painting. |
Jean-Émile-Horace Vernet’s Portrait of Louise Vernet is a sensitive example of Romantic portraiture, showing his daughter Louise at around sixteen or seventeen. Vernet places her in the garden of the Villa Medici, where the Italian setting becomes an important part of the portrait. The detailed treatment of her dress, especially the moiré fabric and jewelled buttons, shows the artist’s strong technical skill. Her calm expression, dark golden hair and the small purple flower create a feeling of youth and simplicity. Vernet’s experience in Rome also influenced the painting, especially through his interest in Raphael and Italian Renaissance art. The background of the Villa Medici connects the portrait with his time as director of the French Academy in Rome. Overall, the work combines Romantic intimacy with classical influence.