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A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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This is one of a pair of seascapes, originally commissioned on behalf of the King of Poland, that the British officer and East India Company official Lord Clive (known as Clive of India) bought from Vernet in 1773. Originally known as ‘Tempête’ (Storm), it depicts a rocky shoreline buffeted by a violent sea storm. Two ships roll in the giant swell, sails tied down or tattered by the turbulent winds and lashing rain, while a third ship lies shattered against the rocks. Figures carry salvaged goods up the shore, while an unconscious woman is laid out on a rock, her friends overwhelmed with despair. The extreme, turbulent elements depicted here contrast with the tranquil atmosphere of its pair, ‘Calme’, reflecting ideas fashionable at the time about the beautiful and sublime in nature and art.

The National Gallery, London

London

Title

A Shipwreck in Stormy Seas

Date

1773

Medium

Oil on canvas

Measurements

H 114.5 x W 163.5 cm

Accession number

NG6601

Acquisition method

Acquired with a donation from the American Friends of the National Gallery, London, made possible by a gift from David H. Koch, 2004

Work type

Painting

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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