K. -J. Verne (1714-1789) in Italy. Travels and Encounters

For painters of the 18th century, travel was one of the most important sources of knowledge and inspiration. An educational trip to Italy became traditional for representatives of the French art community. Claude-Joseph Vernet (1714-1789) spent nearly twenty years in the country of the Renaissance. This study focuses on the impressions gained by the landscape artist during his travels and their reflection in his work. The master lived in Rome and thoroughly explored its surroundings. The southern part of Italy became Vernet's favorite region. The artist visited Naples several times and traveled along the entire southern coast of the country. He was interested in nature and architecture, as well as the atmosphere of Italian cities. Literature of that time could assist the artist in studying monuments. The research methodology combines a variety of methods used in art history with a sociological approach relevant to modern science. In the Russian-speaking academic space, works on Vernet's art are extremely rare, and the Italian period is almost completely overlooked by domestic researchers. This has determined the relevance of this article, which is intended as part of a two-part cycle that thoroughly examines Vernet's stay and activities in Italy. The presented section tells for the first time in Russian how the landscape artist became acquainted with the nature and landmarks of various regions of the Renaissance and what impact this experience had on the development of the master's creative style, repertoire of subjects, images, and painterly motifs. The article shows that the Italian period was fundamental in Vernet's establishment as a master of the landscape genre and explains why the painter referred back to his experiences in Italy throughout his subsequent creative life.