Seascape 

Claude-Joseph Vernet, sometime in the 18th century, painted this Seascape. Notice the dramatic interplay between light and shadow, which defines the painting’s structure and emotional tension. The composition is sharply divided: the turbulent, dark sky on the left contrasts with the lighter, rocky coast on the right. Vernet’s brushwork is loose, almost gestural, capturing the sea’s energy and the precariousness of the shipwreck. This dynamism destabilizes the traditional landscape genre. Here, nature isn't a serene backdrop but an active force disrupting human endeavors. The lighthouse, a symbol of reason and safety, is juxtaposed with the chaos of the storm, questioning Enlightenment ideals. Vernet's masterful use of chiaroscuro embodies the sublime: the simultaneous attraction to and fear of nature's overwhelming power, a theme that continues to resonate with us today.