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| Claude Joseph
Vernet, Interior of the Port of Marseille, 1754, Musée
de la Marine, Paris, © Réunion des Musées Nationaux |
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In
1753 Vernet returned to France to begin paintings commissioned by Louis
XV. He spent the next twelve years traveling the French coast, creating
scenes of French military and commercial seaports. These grand seascapes,
considered masterpieces, are collectively called the Ports of France.
Vernet painted not only the specific topography but also included the daily
activities in each port, giving the paintings an almost scientific interest
typical of the age of Enlightenment.
 
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