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Émile Lecomte-Vernet | Orientalist painter

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Émile Vernet-Lecomte, born Charles Émile Hippolyte Lecomte (1821-1900) was a French painter, best known for his Orientalist works.
He came from a family of illustrious painters.
His great-grandfather was Claude Joseph Vernet and his father was the battle painter, Hippolyte Lecomte; who was himself the son-in-law of Carle Vernet, and the nephew of Horace Vernet.



The last named was one of his teachers; along with Léon Cogniet. He began by painting portraits of the aristocracy and the wealthy bourgeoisie.
His first exhibition at the Salon took place in 1843, and he was awarded a bronze medal.


After that, he signed his paintings as "Vernet-Lecomte".
He soon developed a taste for Orientalism.
His first works in that genre were exhibited at the Salon in 1847; including numerous portraits of Middle Eastern women.


Current events were not ignored, however, and he followed in father's footsteps by creating works depicting the Crimean War, and the slaughter of the Maronites by the Druze, during the 1860 Mount Lebanon civil war.
His works may be seen at the Musée municipal de La Roche-sur-Yon and the Musée Calvet. | © Wikipedia









Charles Émile Hippolyte Vernet-Lecomte è stato un pittore Francese, accademico ed orientalista.
Émile Vernet-Lecomte appartenne ad una famiglia di pittori illustri.
Era pronipote di Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), figlio di Hippolyte Lecomte a sua volta genero di Claude Vernet, e nipote di Horace Vernet. Quest'ultimo fu altresì uno dei suoi maestri, assieme a Léon Cogniet.


Lecomte cominciò la sua attività artistica dipingendo ritratti dell'alta borghesia e dell'aristocrazia parigina.
Espose per la prima volta al Salon de Paris nel 1843 e in quell'occasione ricevette una medaglia di bronzo.


Iniziò allora a firmare le sue tele col nome di Émile Lecomte, ma quasi subito assunse il cognome di Vernet-Lecomte.
Manifestò sempre un vivo interesse per i soggetti cosiddetti "orientali" e le sue prime opere su questo tema furono esposte al Salon del 1847.
Realizzò infatti numerosissimi ritratti di donne nord-africane o medio-orientali, ma non poté peraltro restare indifferente al gusto dell'epoca; si dedicò quindi anche a quadri il cui tema era, ad esempio, "La guerra di Crimea" (1853-1855) od "Il massacro dei Maroniti da parte dei Drusi in Siria" (1860-1861).
Vernet-Lecomte morì nel 1900 a 79 anni. | © Wikipedia