Louis-ambroise Garneray Port Of Brest

Louis Ambroise Garneray French painter, born February 19, 1783 in Paris. Died September 11, 1857 in Paris. Eldest son of Jean-François Garneray, painter to the King. Painter of seascapes, history, landscapes, architecture, Louis Ambroise Garneray is a corsair who had a life of adventurer with Surcouf and Dutertre and having been 8 years prisoner of the English on a pontoon. He is also a prolific writer who was one of the precursors of the maritime adventure novel. At 13, to satisfy his dreams of adventure and glory, he embarked in Rochefort on the frigate La Forte for the Indian Ocean. His entire maritime career took place there, based on the present-day Mauritius and Reunion. He participated in several battles against English vessels. In 1799, he became "first painter on board" on La Preneuse. This frigate commanded by Captain Lhermitte is the last official French force in the entire Indian Ocean, and after hard fighting had to surrender to the English. Garneray manages to escape by swimming. In the absence of official ships, he embarked on La Confiance commanded by Surcouf and took part in the boarding of Kent, Surcouf's highest feat of arms. He will then navigate on different vessels until La Belle Poule taken by the English on which, wounded, he was taken prisoner and taken to the harbor of Plymouth where he will be locked up for 8 years in the hell of the pontoons. He took advantage of these 8 years to paint, which allowed him to improve his ordinary. In 1814, the war over, he was released and back in Paris, he could not find a job in the navy. No doubt thanks to one of his brothers, a painter himself, he received his first official commission and from 1815 exhibited regularly at the Paris Salon. Employed by the Duke of Angoulême, he became his appointed painter by competition in 1817. Between 1821 and 1830, he traveled to many ports in France where he produced many sketches which served as the basis for engravings and canvases. In 1832, he was appointed director of the Rouen Museum. In the 1830s, he developed a new painting process, aquatics, as well as an important engraving activity. Decorated with the Legion of Honor in 1852. Part of Garneray's work is inspired by his adventurous life, the other comes within the framework of his function as a marine painter, in the line of Joseph Vernet and Nicolas Ozanne. In particular, he produced 64 views of French ports and 40 of foreign ports (engravings). Museums of Arras, Nantes, Le Havre, Nice, Pontoise, Rochefort, La Rochelle, Rouen, Versailles, Narbonne. Sources: Bénézit - Wikipedia Our aquatint is titled "GENERAL VIEW OF THE PORT OF BREST" taken from the Parc aux Vivres. Presented under glass. Golden frame. Good condition. Dimensions without frame: 32 x 45.5 cm Dimensions with frame: 49.8 x 60.8 cm