Morning
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
65.7 × 96.8 cm (25 7/8 × 38 1/8 in.); Framed: 72.3 × 103.6 cm (28 7/16 × 40 3/4 in.)
Classification
oil on canvas
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
16439
Art Historical Context
Claude Joseph Vernet’s *Morning* (1760) captures the serene transition of dawn across a coastal landscape, reflecting the French painter’s mastery of atmospheric light. Active during the Enlightenment, Vernet specialized in marine and landscape views that blended precise observation with poetic mood, appealing to aristocratic patrons across Europe. This oil on canvas exemplifies his interest in depicting the times of day, a theme that allowed him to explore how shifting natural light transforms familiar scenes. Working in oil, Vernet layered translucent glazes to achieve luminous skies and re...
About the Artist
Claude Joseph Vernet · 1714–1789
Claude-Joseph Vernet and his direct descendants are the last representatives of the Avignon School which had provided a continuous line of artists since the 14th century. It originated at the time when Bernard de Goth, Archbishop of Bordeaux, became pope in the name of Clement V and transferred the seat of the papacy to Avignon where he established an influential artistic community. Comment on wor...