3-002-516 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Italian Peasants at a Shrine, 1829. In this drawing from early in the artist's career, which may or may not have a textual source, the Romantic Vernet is in full evidence. An Italian brigand kneels at the feet of his beloved, clasping her hand to his heart, as they stand before an altar that one easily imagines to house a weathered sculpture of the Madonna. The nomadic renegade, who lives to defy a corrupt government and uphold universal principles of good, has momentarily laid aside his arms. He declares his virtuous intentions, and the lovers appeal to the Madonna for her blessing. Executed with a fluid use of pen and ink and texturizing areas of wash, the drawing is anecdotally transparent, with all the picturesque details of dress prescribed by contemporary literary convention.