844 



VERNET, EMTLE J. H. 



successfully for the grand prize of the Acade- 

 my of Fine Arts. Subsequently he was draft' 

 ed into the army, and after two years' service 

 was married, and commenced his artistic career. 

 Ho had previously followed the classical man- 

 ner of David, but finding it entirely inadequate 

 to portray modern subjects with truthfulness 

 or effect, he broke away from the convention- 

 alisms of the predominant school and deter- 

 mined to make nature alone his guide. His 

 experience of a soldier's life now proved of con- 

 siderable service to him, and with happy tact 

 he prepared to minister to the national love of 

 military glory by painting the battles in which 

 France had been victorious and the striking in- 

 cidents or episodes of the wars of the republic 

 and the empire. The first piece which brought 

 him into notice was his '' Capture of a Re- 

 doubt," followed within a few years by "The 

 Dog of the Regiment," "The Trumpeters," 

 " Halt of French Soldiers," " Battle of Tolo- 

 sa," " Massacre of the Mamelukes," " Barrier 

 of Clichy," " Battle of Jemmapes," " Battle of 

 Valmy," "Soldier of Waterloo," " The last Car- 

 tridge," " Death of Pomatpwski," &c., which 

 for dramatic vigor and life-like detail soon 

 gained a high position among contemporary 

 works of their class, although the sticklers for 

 the old style found much to condemn in them. 

 In 1822 his works were denied admission 

 into the annual exhibition of the Louvre on ac- 

 count of their " seditious " tendency ; where- 

 upon he transformed his studio into an exhibi- 

 tion room, and presented to the public a numer- 

 ous collection of his own works. In spite of 

 this j>etty persecution he fared well under the 

 Bourbons, and was made an officer of the Le- 

 gion of Honor, 1825, and a member of the In- 

 stitute, 1826. In 1828 he was appointed direc- 

 tor of the French academy in Rome, where he 

 remained 10 years, executing in that interval 

 a number of works somewhat different in sub- 

 ject and treatment from his previous efforts, 

 and of which his "Judith and Holofernes," 

 " School of Raphael," " Confession of the Dy- 

 inir Hrigand," and " Pope Pius VIII. carried 

 into St. Peter's," may be taken as examples. 

 Louis Philippe, who proved a warm friend of 

 Vernet, commissioned him to paint for the 

 Constantino Hall of the palace at Versailles a 

 series of large pictures, illustrating the triumphs 

 of the French arms in Algeria, conspicuous, 

 among which are several episodes in the siege 

 of Constantino, " The Capture of the Smala," 

 "The Battle of Isly," and "The Capture of 

 Bongiah," which are perhaps the largest and 

 finest pictures of their class ever painted. 

 While engaged upon these works he made sev- 

 eral visit* to Algeria and the Holy Land, for 

 the purpose of studying costumes, physiognomy 

 and scenery, and was thus led to attempt nu- 

 merous subsequent works illustrating oriental 

 life and history. Prominent among these were 

 a series of biblical subjects in which the char- 

 acters are habited in the Arabian costume of 

 the present day, as "Rebecca at the Well," 



VIRGINIA, EAST. 



"Hagar driven out by Abraham," and "The 

 Good Samaritan." Other well known eastern 

 subjects were his " Lion Hunt," " Council of 

 Arabs," and " Arab Mother Rescuing her 

 Child from a Lion." To the series of French 

 battle pieces already mentioned must be add- 

 ed his battles of Jena, Friedland, Wagram, 

 Arcola and Fontenoy, "The Bombardment 

 of San Juan d'Ulloa," "The Attack on the 

 Citadel of Antwerp," " The Fleet forcing the 

 Entrance of the Tagus," and " The Capture of 

 Rome by Gen. Oudinot." During the latter 

 part of his life he was said to be engaged upon 

 works illustrating the recent campaigns in Italy 

 and the Crimea. He also painted many excel- 

 lent portraits, including those of Napoleon I. 

 and III., and Louis Philippe. 



He declined a peerage from Louis Philippe, 

 and it is honorable to his artistic self-respect 

 that he refused, at the request of that monarch, 

 to falsify history by representing Louis XIV. 

 leading the assault at Valenciennes. In conse- 

 quence their friendly relations were for a time 

 suspended, and Vernet repaired to St. Peters- 

 burg, where he received flattering attentions 

 from the Czar. Subsequently he became rec- 

 onciled with the king. He was decorated 

 with the chief orders of continental Europe, 

 and at his death stood at the head of his pro- 

 fession in France. 



VIRGINIA. That portion of the State 

 which recognizes the Confederate Govern- 

 ment, has been so completely occupied by the 

 armies and by that Government, that the de- 

 tails of the army operations and of the Con- 

 federate States engross nearly all subjects of 

 interest. The entire military force of the State 

 was absorbed by the Confederate conscription. 

 The State bank circulation entirely disappear- 

 ed, and the State treasury notes were funded. 

 The debt of the State is $34,399,680. This sum 

 includes interest on the debt which has been 

 uncalled for, and is due to the United States 

 and her citizens, viz., $2,730,921 ; also the sum 

 borrowed to aid in the war, and which is by 

 agreement to be returned by the Confederate 

 Government, viz., $8,500,000. Deducting the 

 debt due to the literary fund, and the balance 

 is $20,506,097. To offset this, the State holds 

 bank and other stocks, from which can be re- 

 alized sufficient to provide for all excepting 

 $943,947. An election for governor took place 

 during the year. William mith was chosen. 



VIRGINIA, EAST. A loyal State gov- 

 ernment for East Virginia was organized 

 during the year by the election of a legis- 

 lature and the following State officers: gov- 

 ernor, Francis H. Pierpont; lieut.-governor, 

 L. P. C. Cowper ; secretary of State, L. A. Ha- 

 gnrs ; treasurer, G. T. Smith ; auditor, L. W. 

 Webb; adjutant-general, F. E. Foster; attorney- 

 general, T. R. Bowden. The loyal eastern coun- 

 ties of the State participated in the election. 

 Alexandria was selected as the temporary cap- 

 ital. In his message to the Legislature, Gov. 

 Pierpont spoke of slavery as doomed, and rec- 



