The reception of Vernet’s Orientalist paintings by art criticism in the 1830s–1840s

Horace Vernet (1789–1863), one of the prominent French artists of his time, achieved his greatest success at the time of the July Monarchy (1830–1848), thanks to the patronage of King Louis-Philippe. Like many of his contemporaries, H. Vernet was fascinated by the exotic of the East. Fast every year one or more of his Orientalist paintings were exposed at the Salons. His battle canvases, commissioned by the King, recorded not only various stages of the French conquest of Algeria, but also the realities of life in North Africa. Vernet’s fascination for Eastern culture was reflected in his treatment of biblical subjects and genre scenes as well. This article is devoted to the study of perception of Vernet’s Orientalist paintings by art critics. It bases on the texts of critical reviews of the Salons. Well-known writers, poets, such as T. Gautier, P. Mérimée, Ch. Baudelaire and others functioned as critics. Many of them were warm supporters of romanticism, while classicism remained in demand, among others. The eclecticism inherent in the creative method of H. Vernet, which can be perceived as an expression of the «juste milieu» in the arts, was often met with disdain by reviewers of the Salons. At the same time, H. Vernet’s innovative techniques, including the Arabization of the Bible, ran into frank misunderstanding.