A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas
- Artist: Claude-Joseph Vernet
- Date: 1773
- Medium: oil on canvas
- Museum: The National Gallery
- Collection record: The National Gallery website
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About this artwork
This is "A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas" painted by Claude-Joseph Vernet in 1773. The painting depicts a rocky shoreline buffeted by a violent sea storm, with two ships rolling in the giant swell and sails tied down or tattered by the turbulent winds and lashing rain.
In the foreground, figures carry salvaged goods up the shore while an unconscious woman lies on a rock, her friends overwhelmed with despair. The extreme, turbulent elements of this painting contrast with its pair, "Calme", which reflects ideas fashionable at the time about the beautiful and sublime in nature and art.
The heavily armed boats in this picture were probably built in the 1720s or 1730s, their short pennants identifying them as merchantmen. The ship in the middle distance towards the left is single-decked and appears to be flying a British Red Ensign, while the ship on the right is twin-decked with gun-ports closed due to the heavy seas.
The painting's depiction of a violent sea storm was likely influenced by Edmund Burke's ideas about the sublime and beautiful in nature. Vernet's landscapes and seascapes were renowned for their accuracy and true-to-nature representation, and this painting showcases his skill in capturing the power of untamed nature.
See it in person
A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas hangs in The National Gallery on Trafalgar Square, London — free to enter. Point your phone at any artwork there and audioguide.london plays a free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
