Anonymous sale, London, Sotheby's, 23 February 1966, lot 50, £580 to Wengraf;
Probably shortly thereafter acquired by the family of the present owners.

The relining is fairly recent and sound. The painting is well preserved overall, and a little dirty. It is perhaps a little flat in some isolated areas where the canvas grain is now showing, such as the upper centre of the sky, but these are barely noticable. There is some old retouching to the rocks lower right and lower left and some indisnct further monir restoration through the landscape above. There is also some intervention to the margins, presumably where the surface has been rubbed by the frame. Although it would benefit from a light surface clean, the painting is essentially in good condition overall with only minor previous restoration.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

As the signature and date record, this Shipwreck was painted by Vernet in Rome, where he had settled in 1734. In 1743 he was elected to the Accademia di San Luca and approved (agréé) by the Academie Royale in Paris three years later. By the time this picture was painted at the end of the 1740s Vernet had already established his reputation as a painter of marine subjects, set in calm or storm against the rocky backdrop of the Bay of Naples or the coastline near Rome. This scene of shipwreck epitomises his treatments of the subject in his work, which are uniformly distinguished by their sharp observation, the precision of their handling, and above all the lively interest the artist took in the depiction and movement of his figures. His agreeable representation of the elemental forces of the sea contributed to a growing sensibility in the eighteenth century for the experience of Nature in all her moods and won him an international clientele, notably among visiting British Grand Tourists. Unfortunately the present work does not seem to be listed in Vernet's livre de raison unless it is the mysterious petit tableau listed as being bought that year by a Pietro Bruni for  25 écus.¹

The attribution to Vernet was confirmed by the late Dr. Philip Conisbee after first-hand inspection ofꦑ the painting.

 

1. F. Ingersoll-Smousse, Joseph Vernet. Peintre de marines, vol. I, Paris 1926, p. 55, no. 247.