Horace VERNET - Arab horsemen during the battle

Horace Vernet belongs to the early French Orientalists. In France Orientalism was closely bound up with the Romantic movement, the most important representatives of which were Delacroix and Géricault. Beside these outstanding figures the list of painters of oriental themes extends unbroken to the end of the century and beyond. They have become known as the Orientalists throughout Europe. In the hereunder Vernet's Judah and Tamar (representing a story taken from the Bible) Ingres' aestheticism is very evident in the rendering of the female body, in the beauty of line and the harmonious colouring. Generally, however, the artist has aimed for virtuosity in narrative detail and a meticulously faithful rendering of the textiles and accessories.