Before he knew the name, title and exact age, the Norton Museum’s curatorial associate for European art knew the piece in front of him was something exceptional. Past the cracks, layers of dust and the darkness that had settled, he knew.
“When I first saw the work, my adrenalin was pumping,” Jerry Dobrick said. “I knew it was a superb painting, no matter who had painted it.”
To later learn the actual artist behind the 1746 work was “icing on the cake,” Dobrick said.
Now the focus of an exhibition at the Norton Museum, The Fishermen by Claude-Joseph Vernet was rediscovered by chance while its owner, Ronald Bacher, had a friend clearing out the West Palm Beach condominium Bacher had lived in.
Edward Kampf, the friend, called the museum explaining Bacher wanted to donate a painting believed to be by Vernet. A year later and three weeks before it goes out of display, the public gets to come face-to-face with the masterpiece.
The Fishermen is one of eight canvases commissioned by the Marquis Pierre Charles de Villete and one of four known to have made it to modern times. Vernet made a name for himself in Rome producing imaginary landscapes and topographical paintings, as well as moonlight scenes and tempests. He is considered the leading French landscape painter of the 18th century and one of several to have pleased the Grand Tour and French aristocratic populations.
Instead of packing your carry-on with scarves, mugs and other mass-produced items intended for easily impressed travelers, those living the Grand Tour experience bought unique works by well-studied, highly skilled artists. Among them: Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Jean-Baptiste Lallemand.
It’s a beautiful day in Vernet’s dreamy Roman scene, which hangs on a wall by itself. The bright red on a woman’s skirt jumps out. She is one of two very relaxed females accompanying the three fishermen. One of the men is talking to a Roman soldier whose shield appears at ease while another man attempts to pull something closer.
Whatever it is, one is hopeful it’s not that heavy because he is the only one pulling. With the group is a dog whose back is turned and appears equally relaxed. Meanwhile, a woman appears on the left and is walking with a basket resting on her head.
The painting just keeps giving. There are little scenes hidden everywhere. And the sky painted by Vernet easily is one of the highlights.
Eleven more paintings, by some of the other artists, complete the Norton Museum’s A Masterpiece Rediscovered: Claude-Joseph Vernet’s The Fishermen exhibit, which runs through Dec. 8. One of them is Capriccio with Monuments of Rome (circa 1755), offering another idyllic scene that groups famous ruins from Imperial Rome, including the Coliseum, the Arc of Constantine and the Basilica of Maxentius, all of which do not stand together in reality. This capriccio is by Giovanni Paolo Panini, another topographical painter who influenced Vernet.
The most revealing part of the exhibit is the monitor streaming pictures of The Fishermen from its original state through the conservation process, cleaning, consolidation and filling. The museum had received a precious gift, but one in urgent need of tender, loving care. Dobrick said the linen, usually held taut by a wooden stretcher, had begun to sag, and the paint surface was plagued with small cracks all over. There also was a large tear, and the varnish had faded.
The rocks depicted on the right side of the painting, now showing variations in color and bolder lines, were not visible. It looked like a massive, undefined, dark mass. And the water reflection of the three figures who appear in the distance, inside a boat, was lost, too.
To confirm the painting’s authenticity and begin conservation efforts, the museum contacted an expert in the field of French 18th-century painting with specific knowledge of Vernet’s technique. Research also was conducted in Washington, D.C., and New York, and all the materials used (the linen, paint, stretcher, nails and red-wax seals on the stretcher) were examined to establish their age.
Dobrick, however, was certain it was the real deal before any research was done. He had a true Blink moment (Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink explores the power of instinct) before facts, Wikipedia or any background information could kick in.
“Yes, I could tell immediately that this was an original oil on canvas,” he recalled. “It was an incredibly beautiful work, astonishingly well-painted, the figures and details of the landscape were brilliantly handled.”
A Masterpiece Rediscovered: Claude-Joseph Vernet’s The Fishermen is on display through Dec. 8 at the Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach. Admission: $12. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, except Thursday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday. Call 561-832-5196 or visit www.norton.org.
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Editor’s note:
As a further service to our readers, staff writer Gretel Sarmiento has provided a Spanish translation of her piece about the Vernet exhibition:
Ya rescatados, Los Pescadores de Vernet cuelgan por tres semanas mas
Antes que supiera el nombre, titulo y edad exacta, el curador asociado de Arte Europeo del museo Norton supo que delante de el yacia una obra excepcional. Apesar de las grietas, las capas de polvo y la oscuridad que se habia asentado, lo supo.
“Cuando primero la vi, mi adrenalina se disparo. Supe que era una pintura estupenda no importa quien la hubiese pintado,” dijo Jerry Dobrick.
Encontrar luego el artista justo detras de la obra data del 1746 fue como “merengue encima del pastel,” dijo Dobrick.
Ahora el foco de una exposicion en el Norton Museum, The Fishermen (Los Pescadores) por Claude-Joseph Vernet, fue descubierta de casualidad mientras su dueño, Ronald Bacher, tenia un amigo ordenando el apartamento de West Palm Beach donde habia vivido. Edward Kampf, el amigo en esta historia, llamo al museo explicando que Bacher queria donar una pintura que creia ser por Vernet. Un año mas tarde y tres semanas antes que baje de la pared, logramos estar cara a cara con esta obra maestra.
Los Pescadores es uno de ocho lienzos comisionados por el Marquis Pierre Charles de Villete de los cuales cuatro se conocen haber sobrevivido hasta hoy. Vernet establecio su nombre en Roma produciendo paisajes imaginarios y pinturas topograficas como tambien escenas de claros de luna y tempestades. Es considerado el paisista frances lider del siglo 18 y uno de varios que complacian grupos de aristocratas franceses y turistas del Grand Tour.
En lugar de empacar las maletas con bufandas, tazas y productos de consumo masivo dirigidos hacia turistas faciles de impresionar, aquellos viviendo la experiencia conocida como el Grand Tour compraban obras unicas por artistas talentosos y bien estudiados. Entre ellos estan: Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Jean-Baptiste Lallemand.
Es una dia precioso en esta sonadora escena romana de Vernet, la cual cuelga de una pared sola. Sale a relucir el rojo llamativo de la saya de una mujer. Ella es una de dos mujeres que, relajadas, acompanan a los tres pescadores. Uno de los hombres esta hablando con un soldado romano cuyo escudo descansa en la tierra mientras que otro de los hombres intenta halar algo hacia si mismo. Solo podemos esperar que no sea algo muy pesado porque el es el unico haciendo la fuerza.
Con el grupo se encuentra un perro que nos da la espalda pero parece igualmente relajado. Mientras tanto, de la izquierda aparece otra mujer caminado hacia nosotros con una cesta reclinada en su cabeza. El cuadro parece no acabar. Hay pequeñas escenas escondidas por todas partes y el cielo de Vernet es facilmente uno de los puntos altos de la obra.
Once cuadros mas por otros artistas completan la exposicion A Masterpiece Rediscovered: Claude-Joseph Vernet’s The Fishermen que termina el 8 de Diciembre.
Uno de ellos es Capriccio with Monuments of Rome (Capriccio con Monumentos de Roma). He aqui otra escena ideal donde ruinas famosas de la Roma imperial tales como el Coliseo, el Arca de Constantino y la Basilica de Maxentius aparecen agrupadas cuando en la vida real no se encuentran juntas. Este capriccio es por Giovanni Paolo Panini, otro pintor topografico que influyo a Vernet.
Mas la parte mas reveladora de la expocision es la pantalla transmitiendo fotos de Los Pescadores en su estado inicial y durante varias fases de la conservacion (limpieza, consolidacion, relleno, etc.).
El museo habia recibido un regalo generoso pero necesitado de cariño y atencion urgentemente. Describiendolo, Dobrick dijo que la tela, normalmente aguantada por una camilla de madera, habia comenzado a colgar y la superficie de la pintura estaba cundada de grietas. Habia ademas una gran rajadura y el varniz se habia desteñido.
Las rocas capturadas en el lado derecho de la pintura, que ahora muestran variaciones en el color y las lineas, no podian verse. Lucia como una masa oscura e indefinida. El reflejo en el agua de las tres figuras que yacen dentro de un bote, en la distancia, se habia perdido tambien.
El museo contacto un experto en el campo de la pintura francesa del siglo 18 y familiarizado con el trabajo de Vernet para confirmar la autenticidad de la obra y comenzar el proceso de conservacion. Estudios tambien se llevaron acabo en Washington D.C. y Nueva York y todos los materiales usados en el cuadro (la tela, la pintura, los clavos, etc.) fueron analizados para establecer sus edades.
Sin embargo, Dobrick ya estaba seguro de lo que tenia antes de que cualquier estudio se terminara. El suyo fue un momento genuino casi sacado de Blink (en su libro Blink, el autor Malcolm Gladwell, explora precisamente el poder de la intuicion) antes que hechos concretos y Wikipedia llegaran.
“Si. Supe immediatamente que este era un oleo original,” dijo Dobrick. “Era un cuadro increiblemente hermoso, pintado asombrosamente; las figuras y los dellates del paisaje logrados de una manera brillante.”