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painting fifteen French seaports for the king, spending twenty years in Rome selling shipwrecks to Grand Tour collectors, and founding a three-generation dynasty of painters

Where to see Claude Joseph Vernet
Collection holdings are reported here; current display varies. Check with each museum before visiting.
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19 recorded works
Hermitage Museum
Saint Petersburg, Russia
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8 recorded works
National Trust
Swindon, United Kingdom
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7 recorded works
National Museum in Warsaw
Warsaw, Poland
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6 recorded works
National Gallery
London, United Kingdom
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6 recorded works
Dulwich Picture Gallery
London, United Kingdom
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5 recorded works
Museo del Prado
Madrid, Spain
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5 recorded works
Fitzwilliam Museum
Cambridge, United Kingdom
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5 recorded works
National Gallery of Ireland
Dublin, Ireland
Also here (6)
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4 recorded works
Liechtenstein Museum
Vienna, Austria
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4 recorded works
Art Gallery of South Australia
Adelaide, Australia
View all 61 museums
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3 recorded works
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Quimper
Quimper, France
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3 recorded works
Musée des beaux-arts de Marseille
Marseille, France
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3 recorded works
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Madrid, Spain
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3 recorded works
Musée Fabre
Montpellier, France
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2 recorded works
Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp
Antwerp, Belgium
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2 recorded works
Mauritshuis
The Hague, Netherlands
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2 recorded works
Norton Simon Museum
Pasadena, United States
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2 recorded works
Gemäldegalerie Berlin
Berlin, Germany
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2 recorded works
J. Paul Getty Museum
Los Angeles, United States
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2 recorded works
Temple Newsam
Leeds, United Kingdom
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2 recorded works
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art
Kansas City, United States
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2 recorded works
National Gallery of Art
Washington D.C., United States
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2 recorded works
Wallace Collection
London, United Kingdom
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2 recorded works
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, United States
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2 recorded works
Musée des Beaux-Arts de la ville de Paris
Paris, France
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2 recorded works
Musée des Beaux-Arts d'Angers
Angers, France
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1 recorded work
Toledo Museum of Art
Toledo, United States
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1 recorded work
Clark Art Institute
Williamstown, United States
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1 recorded work
Groeningemuseum
Bruges, Belgium
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1 recorded work
National Galleries Scotland
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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1 recorded work
Museo di Capodimonte
Naples, Italy
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1 recorded work
Kunstmuseum Basel
Basel, Switzerland
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1 recorded work
Staatsgalerie Stuttgart
Stuttgart, Germany
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1 recorded work
Smith College Museum of Art
Northampton, United States
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1 recorded work
Finnish National Gallery
Helsinki, Finland
Also here (6)
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1 recorded work
National Museum of Western Art
Tokyo, Japan
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1 recorded work
Nantes Museum of Arts
Nantes, France
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1 recorded work
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Philadelphia, United States
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1 recorded work
The Box
Plymouth, United Kingdom
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1 recorded work
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen
Caen, France
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1 recorded work
Portsmouth Museums and Visitor Services
Portsmouth, United Kingdom
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1 recorded work
Manchester Art Gallery
Manchester, United Kingdom
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1 recorded work
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Vienna, Austria
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1 recorded work
Musée Toulouse-Lautrec
Albi, France
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1 recorded work
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille
Lille, France
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1 recorded work
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, United States
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1 recorded work
Museo Soumaya
Mexico City, Mexico
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1 recorded work
Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, United States
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1 recorded work
Hamburger Kunsthalle
Hamburg, Germany
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1 recorded work
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis, United States
11 more museums hold works by Claude Joseph Vernet with smaller collections, not listed here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Claude Joseph Vernet's work?
Claude Joseph Vernet's paintings and prints can be found in collections across the world. In France, the Musée du Louvre and Musée d’Orsay (both in Paris), Musée Fabre (Montpellier), and Musée des Beaux-Arts (Nantes) hold examples of his work. Other European museums include the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique (Brussels), the Kunsthistorisches Museum and Osterreichische Galerie (both in Vienna). One can also find his pieces at the Narodni Galerie (Prague), and the Skagens Museum (Skagen, Denmark). Outside of Europe, Vernet's art can be viewed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (Sydney) and the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto). This list is not exhaustive; further research may reveal additional locations.What should I know about Claude Joseph Vernet's prints?
Although Claude Joseph Vernet was a painter, draughtsman, and designer, there is little specific information available regarding his prints. However, prints were often made after drawings and paintings by artists such as Poussin and Watteau. Nearly two hundred prints of Poussin's work were made before 1700. These prints were catalogued by A. Andresen, and later by Georges Wildenstein. Prints after Watteau's paintings from Jullienne's collection have been reproduced and studied. It is possible that prints were made after Vernet's drawings and paintings as well, though they are not as well-documented as those of Poussin and Watteau. The Abbé de Saint Non was known for his printmaking, and Franklin was curious about his method. Saint Non created a print of Franklin's genius hovering over the New World.Who did Claude Joseph Vernet influence?
Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) was a French painter, especially known for his seaports and storm scenes. His work had an effect on a number of later artists, particularly those working in Britain. According to some sources, Vernet instructed Pierre-Jacques Volaire (1729-1799) in Italy around 1760. Volaire adopted Vernet's style of dramatic seascapes, complete with erupting volcanoes. More generally, Vernet's influence is apparent in the work of British artists such as Philip James de Loutherbourg (1740-1812). De Loutherbourg's maritime paintings and dramatic use of light owe a clear debt to Vernet's example. Similarly, the seascapes of Francis Swaine (1725-1782) reflect Vernet's compositional strategies and atmospheric effects. Charles Brooking (1723-1759), Samuel Scott (1702-1772) and others absorbed something of Vernet's manner, popularising it within the British school. Vernet's paintings were widely collected, and prints after his work circulated throughout Europe. These reproductions further extended his reach, introducing his aesthetic to a broad audience and shaping the development of marine painting.Who influenced Claude Joseph Vernet?
Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) was a French sea painter. Other artists, such as J.M.W. Turner (1775-1851), played with Vernet's style. Turner, however, drew his greatest marine influence from 17th-century Dutch painters. Jan van Goyen (1596-1656) and Willem van de Velde the Elder (1611-1693) and Younger (1633-1707) inspired Turner's *Van Tiomp’s Shallop, at the Entrance of the Scheldt* and *Rotterdam Ferry Boat*. Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) was the guiding spirit behind *“Now for the Painter,” Passengers Going on Board*. Jacob van Ruisdael (1628/29-1682) influenced the composition, subject matter, style, and title of *Port Ruysdael*. Turner's teacher, Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), president of the Royal Academy, advised students to follow the rules of art established by the great masters. Reynolds suggested that painters should study the Dutch school to learn the art of painting and travel to Italy to learn higher knowledge.What is Claude Joseph Vernet's most famous work?
It is difficult to identify Claude Joseph Vernet's single most famous work, as his artistic output was considerable and his reputation varied throughout his career and after his death. He is best known for his marine paintings, often depicting ports, seashores, and storms. Some of his well-known paintings include "Seaport at Sunset", various versions of "Rest on the Flight into Egypt", and "Seascape with Ezekiel Crying on the Ruins of Tyre". Vernet also produced numerous pastoral scenes and idealised Roman views, such as "The Roman Forum" and "View of Delphi". The "Masters of Art" and "Delphi Complete Paintings" catalogues list a substantial number of works, demonstrating the breadth of his subject matter, from biblical scenes to landscapes with classical figures.What was Claude Joseph Vernet known for?
Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-89) was a successful painter of landscapes and marine scenes in 18th-century Europe. Born in Avignon, he was admitted to the Académie de France in Rome, despite not having studied in Paris. In Rome, Vernet established his name with his imaginative depictions of the natural world and seascapes. He secured a wide base of international patrons and became a full member of the Académie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture before his return to France in 1753. The Marquis de Marigny visited Vernet's studio in 1750, during a tour of Italy. When Marigny became directeur des bâtiments, he gave Vernet a royal commission to create topographical views of French ports, intended to glorify the reign of Louis XV. Vernet completed fifteen paintings for this project, slightly more than half of the intended series. These paintings, including those of Marseilles, Toulon, and Bordeaux, are known for their wealth of detail. Later in his career, Vernet increasingly focused on seascapes and storm scenes. His Shipwreck (1763, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg) uses dramatic contrasts between man-made structures and natural forms. He regularly exhibited at the Salons; Denis Diderot praised the truthfulness to nature found in his works.Claude Joseph Vernet art movement?
Claude Joseph Vernet was a successful landscape painter in 18th-century Europe. He established a reputation with his imaginary landscapes and marine paintings while working in Rome, and became a full member of the Académie Royal.What was Claude Joseph Vernet's art style?
Claude Joseph Vernet worked within the Neoclassical and Rococo movements. His shipwreck paintings are theatrical, often featuring towering waves, splintering ships, and dramatic lighting effects.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Claude Joseph Vernet's works across the following collections.
- [1] academic Britannica Editors, Joseph Vernet Used for: biography.
- [2] wikidata Wikidata: Q315819 Used for: identifiers.
- [3] book Jennifer D. Milam, Historical Dictionary of Rococo Art Used for: biography.
- [4] museum Claude-Joseph Vernet Used for: biography.
- [5] museum Claude-Joseph Vernet Used for: biography.
- [6] museum Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714 - 1789) Used for: biography.
- [7] museum Vernet, Claude-Joseph Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-09-30. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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