Carle Vernet

Carle Vernet: His Majesty Giving Orders to 

His Marshals, the Morning of the Battle of Austerlitz

Vernet has been featured here before; he seems to have made a career out of painting Napoleon.

Napoleon Hunting in the Forest (1811)

Carle Vernet: Napoleon Hunting in the Forest

Of course Napoleon went hunting. It was a time-honored way for monarchs to prove their manhood (second only to waging war, of course).

Equestrian Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I (1810)

Carle Vernet: Equestrian Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I 

 This particular portrait, "Equestrian Portrait of Emperor Napoleon I," was given to General Anne Jean Marie René Savary by Napoleon. The general, who was the Duke of Rovigo, was one of Napoleon's longest-standing supporters, being one of the last to desert the emperor at his abdication in 1814.

Carle Vernet began studying art at age 11 and won the Prix de Rome at age 24. His stay in Rome ended prematurely, though, when his father recalled him to France to prevent him from entering a monastery. Apparently, he had undergone a "mystical experience." During the Revolution, his sister was guillotined and, while many sources state the tragedy wasn't reflected in his art, some believe his style changed radically after her death. Carle himself lived to be 78; supposedly, he was even seen "racing as if he were a sprightly young man" just days before his death. Despite being well-regarded in his own time, this lively artist is unfortunately known today mostly as an aside in the lives of his father and his son.

Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/19343/all-family-vernets#ixzz2bgKshs9l