2646425 A Storm with Shipwreck by a Fortress, a Castaway in the Foreground, 1769 (oil on canvas) by Vernet, Claude Joseph (1714-89); 81.6x100 cm; Private Collection; (add.info.: This work was painted in Paris following Vernet\'s partial completion of the \'Ports of France\' series. In full command of his proto-Romantic idiom, the artist fused motifs previously observed on the Mediterranean coast line with his fantastic vision of the elements. Swelling waves stirred by a violent storm send a wayward ship crashing up against an unidentified rocky coast. The surviving passengers wash up in the right foreground, reinforcing the dynamic composition through expressive attitudes and gestures. ); Photo 穢 Christie\'s Images.