Horses and Heroes in the Age of Napoleon: The Equestrian Drawings of Carle Vernet

Born Antoine Charles Horace Vernet in Bordeaux, France, Carle Vernet was a painter, engraver, and lithographer trained in the style of the Neoclassical school. In addition to working alongside his father, Joseph Vernet (1714–1789)—one of the foremost French artists of the 18th century—Carle trained with Nicolas-Bernard Lépicié (1735–1784), a well-established painter of history subjects and genre scenes. Today, he is best known for his representations of horses and equine activities that portray the animal in a lively and witty manner. His paintings emphasize the horse’s central role in French society at that time, with this exhibition capturing the dynamism of the relationship between the animal and its handler.